Present With You Always
by DarkChao1663
Summary: Yugi gets an unexpected visit from his father. A man wants to get his greedy hands on the Puzzle. Things don't always go as planned. Complete!
1. Training and Phone Calls

Chao- Yep, here we go again!

**Disclaimer: DarkChao1663 does not **_**Yu-Gi-Oh!**_

**Summary: Yugi gets an unexpected visit from his father. A man wants to get his greedy hands on the Puzzle. Things don't always go as planned.**

**Warnings: Minor swearing**

**Pairings: None**

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

/Yami and Yugi mind link./

**Chapter 1:** **Training and Phone Calls**

"On my mark, get set…" mumbled a teen with tri-color hair to himself in a track running position at a city park. "Go!"

The same adolescent sprinted down a semi-smooth path. He watched where ran to ensure he wouldn't bump into any other adults who were out jogging. His legs pounded against the ground as his arms moved swiftly back and forth. He inhaled in and out quickly to fill his lungs, so he could continue on. Even though he hadn't run far, he had to stop and rest.

"Not… good," he grumbled to himself. "I need… to train… harder."

After catching his breath, he took off once more. Racing down, he thought back to the reason why he was training himself so hard.

Flashback

The teen with the tri-color hair stared intensely at a bulletin board that read, "Sports Festival Coming Soon!" He sighed with disappointment; he had always dreaded the yearly physical sports challenges.

"Hey, what's going on, Yugi!" an adolescent with blonde hair greeted happily.

"Oh, nothing, Joey," he replied, trying to mask his true feelings.

"Don't you think it's cool that you, me, and Tristan are on the same team this year!" the taller student asked with great enthusiasm.

"Um…" the other boy stammered. "Yeah, this should be… fun."

The blonde teen patted his friend on the back and assured, "Don't worry, as long as you do your best everything will be fine."

End flashback

"_How can I give my best if I don't try?!_" the petite adolescent thought to himself as he stopped once more.

He trudged over to the water fountain and took his time re-hydrating himself. After a couple of poorly attempted laps, the sun was setting, and the young adult in training thought it would be best to leave for home now. However, his entire body was sore from a full day of running. He decided to sit on a park bench and relax for a bit.

"_Ugh… this is hard_."

He could hardly move as his legs and arms, which felt like jelly. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. He really did not want to work his training alone, but he also did not want to bother any of his friends from his physical weakness.

A familiar voice broke his thoughts, "Hey, Yugi."

The young teen looked up to see one of his friends. He greeted back, "Hey, Tristan. What are you doing here in the park?"

"I was just doing some running; for a healthier way of living rather than fighting all the time," Tristan explained, "What about you?"

"Um…" Yugi stammered since he wanted his training to be a secret so he could surprise his friends.

"Are you training yourself for the Sports Festival?" Tristan asked.

"How did you know?" Yugi questioned stunned.

"Joey said you've been staring at those posters and looked worried." Tristan replied as he took a seat.

Yugi stared at the floor feeling embarrassed.

The tall brunette was aware of his friend's feelings so he assured, "It's nothing to be ashamed of; if it bothers you then I'm sure all of us can help you out."

"R-really?" Yugi asked becoming excited.

"Yeah, you already took the first step to getting better at something: working out ahead of time." Tristan smiled.

Yugi couldn't help but laugh.

The taller teen stood up and promised, "Joey and I can help you get ready. You don't have to do this on your own."

Yugi nodded, "Yeah, you're right."

He tried to stand up, but his whole entire body was aching.

"I'll give you a lift home on my motorcycle." Tristan offered as he helped Yugi stand up.

The student with large, purple eyes smiled, "Thanks."

After a quick ride, the two boys arrived at the Turtle Game Shop.

"Make sure to drink plenty of water tonight and bring a water bottle tomorrow." Tristan advised, and then rode off into the night.

Yugi immediately went to his room and fell on his bed, exhausted from running.

"Did you have fun without me," a spirit asked with sarcasm and hurt in his voice.

"Mm hmfmm m mhmt," Yugi mumbled, his face vertically pressed against his soft mattress.

"What?" Yami asked, not understanding the message.

Yugi sighed, turned over, and repeated, "I'm sorry I didn't take you."

The spirit laughed and responded, "That's all right; as long as you were safe."

Yugi stared at his ceiling for a moment deep in thought.

Yami broke the silence asking, "What's the plan for tomorrow?"

"Going to the park to train with Joey and Tristan."

"For that sports game?"

Yugi nodded, "I want to give it my best this year."

Yami chuckled and praised, "Glad to hear that, partner."

"I didn't take you because there was no one to the hold the Puzzle while I was running. But, since Joey and Tristan will be there, I guess one of them could watch over the Puzzle while we train." Yugi thought out loud towards his friend.

Yami gave a thumbs up, "I'll be there to encourage you all!"

Yugi laughed as he lifted himself up and placed the covers over him ready to sleep. He knew it would be best to turn in early, so he could be better prepared. Soon afterwards, he started to toss and turn in his sleep.

Yugi's dream

A teen from one year ago raced on a school's track field. Plenty of taller and stronger boys than him passed by with ease. He tried even harder to catch up, but everyone was already far in front of him.

"No!" he yelled as he tried to push himself harder.

But the race ended.

Yugi stopped in his place as the entire outdoors turned into a black realm. He heard everyone talking about him.

"Man, that Yugi-kid is a terrible runner!"

"I can't believe we were forced to have him on our team."

"Yeah, we could have won if we had Joey or Tristan."

"What girl would ever want a weakling for a boyfriend?"

"He might actually be good if he wasn't so busy playing those stupid children's games."

"No!" Yugi screamed as he covered his ears and fell to his knees. He cried, "I'm sorry!"

"Talking ain't gonna do him no good! I say we kick his ass to teach him a lesson!"

Yugi found himself surrounded by other students, but he couldn't make out there features. One of them lifted him up from his shirt with Yugi having difficulty breathing.

"You think losing is some sort of joke!" the bully screamed more so than asked.

"No! I don't! I-" Yugi tried to apologize, but he was cut short when a fist had entered his stomach area. He felt the pain enter his entire physique. He yelled in agony.

"Had enough," asked another student sarcastically.

"Please, stop!" Yugi begged. "I'll do better next time!"

Another punch landed on his cheek.

"Maybe next time you won't take sports so lightly!" a third student mocked as Yugi cried.

"Look at the baby cry!"

"I'm sorry!" Yugi sobbed. "I'm sorry!"

End Yugi's dream.

The teen woke up terrified. Sweat pour down his face as he inhaled and exhaled rapidly. He placed one hand on his stomach area and swore he felt the pain from there again. He never told anybody about what happen to him last year at the Sports Festival. That was before he became friends with Joey, Tristan, and Yami.

"_I'm still being haunted by that. But… I don't want a repeat of last year. It wouldn't be fair to Joey and Tristan_." Yugi thought to himself, rubbing his forehead dry with his pajama sleeves.

"Something wrong?" Yami asked as he appeared in his transparent state. He had sensed his partner was in discomfort and decided to check in.

Yugi looked over at his friend, who glowed against the light of the moon. He shook his head.

"I'm just going to go get some water," he announced as he stepped out of his bed and headed towards the door.

He went down the steps and into the kitchen. He poured himself a cold glass of water. As he did, he noticed his hands were shaking. Drinking his water, he thought, "_I need to calm down… Joey and Tristan will help me train tomorrow_."

Finished, he placed his cup by the sink. He then walked over to the fridge and opened it to ensure some bottled water was there for him to take. He grew startled hearing, "Yugi, is everything ok?"

The boy turned around and saw a woman in a pink robe with maroon short hair and brown eyes. He smiled, "Y-yeah, I'm fine."

He headed for the stairs and said, "I'm going back to bed. Night, Mom!"

Walking back up the steps, he did some deep breathing to calm himself down; he did not want to worry the spirit of the Puzzle over nothing. He entered his room and went back to bed. Turning on his side, he faced the wall, not prepared to fall asleep just yet. He tried to reason with himself, "_It may be hard, but it will be well worth it… Besides, I'm not going at it alone this time_."

With that, Yugi closed his eyes and went into slumber.

Yami appeared next to his companion's bed. He knew something was worrying his lighter half, but he chose to allow his partner to tell him if anything was happening. However, he stayed out to ensure everything was fine for his partner during the night.

Early the next morning, Yugi awoke feeling a little sore in his legs and lower back. He moaned as he tried to lift himself out of bed.

"Day one," he mumbled to himself.

He grabbed his bag and placed his Puzzle around him. He walked downstairs into the kitchen where he took his water bottles and placed them in his bag. He decided it would be best to take some medication, so he won't collapse while training. Quickly, he ate some waffles after heating them up in a toaster.

"Yugi, where are you going?" the boy's mom asked.

"I'm meeting my friend's at the park today." Yugi replied as he washed his plate and cup. He then placed on his shoes and was out the door.

"Where is Yugi going?" an old man asked feeling somewhat groggy.

"He said he was going to the park," the woman replied as she placed the dish and cup in the dish washer.

Just then, the phone rang. Solomon went to answer it as his daughter's hands were wet, "Hello? Moto residence."

"Solomon, is that you?" the other line asked. "It's Izumi."

The elderly man smiled, "How have you been?"

The other line laughed and replied, "Fine, fine. I was calling to let you all know I'll be within Domino area soon. Is Mitsuki there?"

"She is but she's washing dishes right now-" Solomon was cut off as the phone was taken out of his hand.

"What do you want?" Yugi's mother asked the other line.

"Uh… Hi, Mistuki." Izumi greeted nervously.

"Don't _hi _me! What nonsense do you have over here!" she asked furiously. Izumi was about to answer when Yugi's mom interrupted by saying, "Oh, what does it matter!"

She then handed the phone back to Solomon then stormed off.

"Um… nice talking with you, too?" Izumi said confused.

The old man laughed again and said, "Yep, she hasn't changed her feelings about you."

"That's understandable. Well, what's Yugi been up to? I've read in the papers he's won a card game tournament or something."

"Yes, he had won Duelist Kingdom and recently Battle City over here in Domino."

"Wow, what an accomplishment! Is he up right now?"

"Actually, he's not here; he's at the park right now with some friends."

"….."

"Something shock you?"

"Err… well… um…"

"Ha ha, yes, he's not the same child as he was on your last visit! He's changed quite a bit!"

"Heh…. I feel bad for not being able to visit sooner but you know…"

"Yes, your job has kept you very busy."

"Speaking of which, I need to get back to it! As I said, I'll be in Domino soon. Will you tell Yugi that I've called?"

"Of course, have a safe trip."

The other line hung up, and the old man said, "Guess this will be big surprise for all of us."

xxx

Yugi arrived at the park meeting his two male companions.

"Hey, guys," he greeted with a smile on his face.

"Hey, Yugi," Tristan greeted back.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Joey asked, wanting full focus but also did not want to push his buddy in the wrong direction.

The smaller boy nodded with determination.

"Good," Tristan replied. "We want commitment!"

"But, I hope this doesn't take away your own time for getting ready." Yugi said with a little guilt in his tone.

"Don't worry about it, Yug," Joey assured happily. "This will be something that me and Tristan can help _you _with since you've done so much for us!"

Yugi smiled again, grateful for having such loyal school pals.

"Now let's get started!" Joey exclaimed with Yugi and Tristan agreeing in unison, "Yeah!"

"Ok! Let's warm up with ten laps around the park!" Joey instructed.

"What!" Yugi exclaimed.

Tristan knocked his blonde friend with the back of his fist.

"What was that for!?" Joey demanded to know, rubbing his sore spot.

"We need to start off easier!" Tristan explained. "He doesn't have the same build as you and me!"

Joey felt sheepish, so he apologized, "Err… Sorry, Yugi."

Yugi only smiled as Tristan said, "Let's start with something easier. Take one lap around the park and then we'll stretch!"

Yugi took off his Puzzle and handed it to Joey. He then positioned himself and prepared himself mentally to start.

Yami appeared in his transparent form and gave his partner a thumbs up, /Do your best!/

With that, Yugi took off running.

When he was far enough, Joey commented, "He runs like a middle school student."

"Yes, yes he does," Tristan agreed.

The young boy came back and was tired. His two friends pushed him the rest of the day to stretch, run, do sit ups and pushups.

"_I'm not sure how much more I can take!_" Yugi discouraged himself. His energy was brought back when all of his male comrades cheered him on.

"Just a few more!" they encouraged. "Almost done!"

By the end of another day, the small boy was exhausted.

"Great job for the first training session!" Joey exclaimed.

Yugi could barely move as he sat on the bench looking down and trying to catch his breath.

Joey placed the boy's Puzzle back around his neck for him.

The group walked to Yugi's place together to ensure nothing happened to their small friend.

xxx

The same pattern went by the following day at the park. The small boy yawned, still tired from the day before. However, he held a sad, worried look on his face.

"Everything ok, Yug?" Joey asked as he broke through his friend's thoughts.

Yugi smiled and nodded.

Meanwhile, Yami watched from the sidelines as Yugi continued to push himself while his friends encouraged him. He observed through the other night something was not right with his friend. However, his partner seemed cheered up.

"Let's go for two laps around the park!" Tristan instructed.

Yugi nodded and took off running. Although his entire physique was crying out to stop, he chose not to. The second day was not easy, but he was determined to keep up his pace. Speeding past other people, his concentration was broken.

"_Man, that Yugi-kid is a terrible runner!_"

He stopped.

"_What girl is going to want him for a boyfriend?_"

He covered his ears and shut his eyes tightly as he tried to block out the voices he heard again from the night before.

"_Talking ain't gonna do him no good! I say we kick his ass to teach him a lesson!_"

"NO!" Yugi screamed as he sprinted down the path. Arriving at the same place he started, he felt someone grab his arm. He looked up and saw Joey.

"Yug, are you sure everything's all right?" the taller teen asked with concern.

Yugi smiled and nodded.

The same training routine was done as time flew by. The two boys walked again with their pal to secure he didn't stumble over.

"Welcome back!" an elderly man greeted.

"Hi, Grandpa," Yugi said tired.

"Another day of successful training," Tristan commented as everyone sat in the living room to recover.

"What do you plan to do tomorrow?" Solomon asked the group.

"Train after school but not too long," Joey answered.

Solomon looked over at his grandson who had his eyes closed as he tried to recover. The old man was proud of his grandson who was interested in improving himself at a mandatory school activity. He was, however, unable to say about the news of the phone call he had received earlier; he did not want to break the boy's concentration.

"We should get going," Tristan insisted as he stood up. "We do have school tomorrow."

Joey groaned but agreed to leave.

Yugi opened his eyes, smiled, and said, "Thanks for everything, guys."

"No problem, Yug," Joey smiled back.

The two boys left, and Yugi went up to his room to rest. He changed his clothes and immediately went to bed. He wanted to sleep, and even though his mind was hazy, he couldn't relax.

/You don't need to push yourself so hard_./ _Yami advised as he sat on Yugi's chair.

/I know,/ was all the boy could reply.

/Your friends won't care if you come in last place./ Yami pointed out calmly.

However, Yugi did not have the energy to argue or even say anything back.

The spirit of the Puzzle felt his connection with Yugi weakening, so he allowed his partner to rest.

xxx

The next day, Yugi went to school but remained tired.

"Did you sleep ok, Yugi?" Tea asked her friend.

The boy could only smile and nod.

"Sorry, I was busy with a lot of errands at home. Did you do anything interesting over the weekend?" she asked making conversation.

Yugi shook his head. Earlier he had asked his two friends not tell Tea about his training, and they both had agreed. Although he was unsure how Tea would react to him doing something masculine, he also wanted to show he could be tough, too.

After school, as Yugi gathered his stuff together, Tea had asked if he wanted to do something.

"Um… Sorry, Tea," Yugi said. "I'm a little busy this week."

"Ok; that's understandable." Tea smiled.

Yugi left the classroom, and Tea saw Joey and Tristan walking with him while holding silly grins on their face.

"Boys," she sighed as she left and headed home.

xxx

For the next few days, the teens were busy training for the Sports Festival. Every day after school they would run, stretch, do pushups, sit ups, and chin ups. They also trained for other events, such as tossing a ball into a very high basket. To help prepare for the trial, the two boys had their vertically challenge friend shoot baskets with a basketball into a hoop.

While tossing the ball, Yugi thought to himself, "_My goal is to at least make three into the basket_."

One week passed by, and Yugi's physical activities had improved.

"Wait ago Yugi!" Joey cheered.

"Yeah, you've managed to beat your old record!" Tristan informed.

"Thanks, guys." the boy smiled.

The group had agreed to meet again early Saturday morning, like they had one week ago.

xxx

Around the dinner table, Yugi slowly ate his meal. His grip on his chopsticks was not as tight, so he would drop his food on the table or on his lap.

"Yugi! Eat correctly!" Yugi's mother ordered.

"Err… Sorry, Mom," Yugi apologized feeling sleepy.

The short woman stood up and washed her dinner plate furiously. She would grunt often in anger as she clashed down the dishes and placed them within the dishwasher. She then marched down to the where the washer was kept to put in clothes to be clean.

When the coast was clear, the elderly man commented, "Boy, she has been in a really bad mood lately, hasn't she?"

However, Yugi was not fully paying attention.

"Yugi?" Solomon called his grandson's name.

"Hmm," the small teen replied as he rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"You should go to bed right now if you plan to get up early tomorrow." Solomon advised.

Yugi nodded and went straight to his room.

xxx

Up in his room, Yugi changed clothes, but before he went to bed, he decided to stretch his body.

/You certainly have improved./ Yami complimented.

/Yup./ was all the boy said. When done, he climbed into bed.

/Ready for another day of training?/ Yami asked.

/Yup,/ Yugi answered feeling confident.

/That's the spirit, partner!/ the former pharaoh encouraged as he watched his friend sleep.

Bright and early, the teen was up and headed out straight to the park.

"Have a good time!" Solomon encouraged. When he walked back into the house, the phone rang. He went to answer it, "Hello? Moto residence."

"Solomon? It's me, Izumi!"

"Hello, are you here in Domino yet?"

"Almost, how has everyone been? Have you told Yugi I'm coming?"

"Everyone is doing fine. But, no, I haven't told him yet. Usually he can sense when you're coming as you-know-who gets a little grouchy when you come by, but he hasn't yet."

"Ha ha… I can't help but feel guilty about that."

"No need to apologize. Right now, your son is busy training for that big Sports Day at school."

"Really?"

"Yes, he started last week. I think he wants to do really well."

"Huh… Guess it's best not to disturb him."

Before Solomon could answer, Yugi's mother grabbed the phone and demanded to know, "What are you up to?"

"Um… Hello, again, Mitsuki." Izumi greeted.

"Honestly, all you do is call and cause problems!" the woman yelled unpleasantly.

"Um…Yes? And how exactly am I causing problems this time?" Izumi snickered.

Mitsuki grew a little red but then handed the phone back to her father and stormed off.

"Ha ha… Guess I need to be going," Izumi said.

"Yes, and travel safely!" Solomon said then hung up. Before he had time to leave, the phone rang again. "Hello?"

"Um… Mr. Moto? It's Tea," the other line replied.

"Tea! How have you been?"

"Fine. Is Yugi there?"

"No, he's already headed towards the park."

"The park?"

"Yes. Weren't you going to meet him there as well?"

"….."

"Well, that's where all the boys are right now."

"…. Is that so? Well, I better be going. Thanks."

The other lined hung up, but the old man knew what was coming. He smiled and laughed to himself. "I wouldn't be surprised if she and Yugi ended like Izumi and Mitsuki."

**To be continued…**

Chao- Hurray for sports!

YChao- Yeah, they can be cool so long as someone gets hurt.

Yugi- (gulps) Am I going to get a serious injury then?

YChao- Maybe.

Chao- Please review!


	2. Keep On Moving

Chao- La la la!

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

/Yami and Yugi mind link./

**Chapter 2: Keep On Moving**

Yugi ran once more, but this time he was not too far behind Joey.

"You're doing great, Yugi," the blonde praised sincerely. "Keep it up!"

After spending the cool morning running, the group rested on a park bench.

"At this rate you'll be ready for the big lap race!" Tristan noted. "Now let's see if we can get ten pushups!"

Yugi nodded and he managed to perform a few before the group was interrupted by an annoyed female voice, "And what exactly is going on here?"

Yugi stopped his exercise as he and the group looked over to see a furious Tea. Everyone became speechless; they wanted to keep their exposed training a secret. They were also confused how she knew where they were at.

Tea observed all her male friends were wearing gym clothes, running shoes, and bags filled with sweat bands and water bottles. She shrieked, "Are you turning Yugi into another muscle head!"

Yugi stood up as he tried to explain, "N-no! That's not it!"

"You see we are… uh…" Joey stuttered trying to come up with a good lie.

"We're just trying to help Yugi with… um…" Tristan also attempted to answer the question but was unsure what to say.

Yugi sighed; he did not want any of his friends lying to someone who cares about them He smiled to his two male friends and insisted, "It's ok if we tell her."

The two taller boys nodded.

"Tell me what?" Tea asked in an annoyed tone with her arms crossed, not at all pleased her close group of male friends kept a secret from her.

"I was just trying to get ready for the Sports Festival this year since Joey, Tristan, and me are on the same team." Yugi explained innocently as well as truthfully.

Tea uncrossed her arms and looked at all of her friends. They were all smiling and were happy to be helping out a friend.

"I um… didn't tell you because I…" Yugi stuttered trying to tell the truth. He was interrupted when Tea grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

"Hey, where are you goin'!?" Joey yelled as he wanted to continue on with the training program.

"I don't want Yugi to turn into a brainless muscle head like you two!" Tea explained.

"But, Tea!" Yugi protested. "I'm so close to getting better!"

"I know," the female teen agreed. "So you'll be training under my program!"

"And what is that?" Tristan asked after gathering everyone's supplies that were left behind.

xxx

The group was told to meet back at the Turtle Game shop for a _real_ workout set up by Tea. They were told they could continue to wear their gym outfits but could not keep on any shoes or socks. They were also asked to move the furniture towards the back for extra room to move.

"What is it Tea has planned now?" Joey thought out loud in annoyance.

"Who knows," Tristan sighed.

"Feh… women," Joey mumbled.

Yugi anticipated what was in store for him. He closed his eyes as he waited patiently for his companion to arrive and say what else was on her mind. Yugi had always liked the fact his best female friend was someone who was strong and stood by her beliefs. He was hoping with him training for something as real as a sport, and not a card game, she would see him as someone different.

All three boys looked up when they saw Tea had finally arrived. In her hand was a thin lavender matt. She wore a sky blue tank top and pink pants. Yugi was always happy to see his friend in her school uniform, regular clothes, formal ware, and especially her work uniform, but he has not seen her in any workout clothing before.

"What is it you have planned?" Joey asked, a little mad he was indoors rather than outdoors having fun with running around and acting like a fool.

"I thought I'd share what I like to do for working out." Tea explained as she walked in.

"What about your dance?" Yugi asked.

"I do have other hobbies other than dance." Tea answered sternly.

Tristan observed what she was wearing as well as the item in her hand. He sighed in agitation as he groaned, "Please don't tell me we're doing Yoga!"

"What!" the other two boys asked in shock.

Tea giggled evilly, "What better way to get in shape?"

"But that's for girls!" Joey whined, not wanting to take part in the activity.

"It is not!" Tea protested. "Many celebrities do it to stay in shape!"

"Yeah, just those who are on TV and not doing an actual sport!" Tristan pointed out.

Tea took offense to that.

Yugi was unsure of how to feel. He wanted to try something new and do a different activity other than playing games with his best female friend. But on the other hand, the Sports Festival was approaching, and he feared he may not have enough time to be fully ready.

"Then let's make a deal," she stated, grabbing her male friends attention. "Let's at least try this. If it's too easy for you, then you all can go back to your silly routine."

Joey and Tristan looked at each other and grinned arrogantly.

"We accept!" they both said as they stood up.

Yugi smiled and replied, "I'll try it."

"Ok then! Let's begin!" Tea cheered as she undid her mat.

The group of friends had the three boys in back with Tea in the front as the instructor.

"Let's start by clearing our minds and settings ourselves with a good intention as to why we're doing this." Tea instructed.

"Because you made us," Joey grumbled.

"Just do it!" Tea ordered annoyed.

Yugi nodded. He placed his hands together and brought them to his chest.

"_I want to try this and become a good sports partner for my friends_." Yugi reflected honestly to himself about his decision.

/And to make Tea proud!/ Yami grinned, interrupting his partner's concentration.

Yugi lost focus for a moment as he opened his eyes and tried to regain his balance.

/Yami!/ Yugi scolded. /This is serious!/

/Yes, sorry about that./ Yami apologized and allowed his friend to get back to his training.

After performing several poses, all three boys could feel their body ache.

"_Man, this is harder than what I assumed!_" Tristan thought to himself.

"_No way I'm losing to a girly workout!_" Joey yelled at himself as he pushed himself to make it through the end, not wanting to admit defeat.

"_I don't know how much longer I can last!_" Yugi tried to push himself but could feel his strength leaving him. His body had built up to withstanding running, pushups, and even the harshness of the Shadow Realm, but his physique was unprepared to use several muscles not applied in any of his previous activities.

/You can do it partner!/ Yami tried to encourage. /Show Tea how cool you are!/

After surviving one last pose, the three boys fell to the floor exhausted.

"Is that all you have?" Tea teased, knowing she had won.

"That… doesn't…. that doesn't…" Joey tried to argue but was too tried to come up with any points.

Yugi pushed himself to stand up and drink some water. He sat on the couch, too tired to say anything but quietly accepted his defeat. He had to keep his promise and do what Tea had ordered.

/You did very well, partner,/ Yami tried to comfort. /But are those poses really hard?/

/Yes, they are…/

/Really?/

/Yes…/

/Are you sure? Because it all looked like fun and easy./

/It's not easy!/

/But Tea looked as though she was having fun./

/Duh! She's been doing this for lot longer!/

/No wonder she can out dance and out run almost everyone./

/…./

/Well, better luck next time./

/That's easy for you to say… You don't have to actually go through a sports festival./

/No, but you're making it look like fun./

/But you're inside the Puzzle! It's not like you need to come out for anything./

/Yes, I'm special like that./

Yugi grew annoyed by his so called friend. He hurriedly placed the Puzzle around his neck.

"Tea," Yugi called out. "I think another round will be good."

Tea looked over to her friend. She smiled with great enthusiastic, "OK!"

"What?" Joey whined.

"No more!" Tristan moaned.

The tired, small teen gathered his strength and pushed himself to stand up.

"_Let's see how easy this actually is!_" he thought bitterly.

A light flashed and soon Yami stood where Yugi was.

"Huh?" the dark spirit asked confused.

Tea happily grabbed her friend, unaware of the transformation, and said, "Another round? Here we go!"

"What!" Yami yelled confused. /Yugi! How could you!/

No response came from the Puzzle.

After doing only a few poses, Yami collapsed on the floor exhausted.

/You win, Yugi!/ Yami stated as he changed places with his lighter half.

Yugi was satisfied to prove his point, but he was still disenchanted he couldn't do any of the exercises he wanted to try with Joey and Tristan. He took a seat on the couch once more and sighed. He was man enough to accept when he had lost and agreed to the terms.

Tea took a seat next to her friend and smiled, "Yoga may not be easy, but it's fine with me if you continue on with your program created by those two."

Yugi turned his head towards his companion surprised.

"Just promise me you won't turn into a muscle headed freak!" she conditioned.

Yugi laughed and agreed.

After taking several minutes to recuperate, the group decided to relax for the rest of the afternoon. The boys eventually recovered from the tough training they had received and were back to acting like fools. Joey and Yugi managed to pull their strength together and play a few rounds of Duel Monsters. Although the outcomes of the matches were obvious each time, the two friends had a great time with Yugi teaching Joey new strategies.

The sun was to set soon and the group of friends departed.

With the Puzzle in hand, Yugi slowly walked upstairs and into his bed room. He took off his pendant and immediately went to bed. His entire form was exhausted, but on the inside he was grateful for having his friends by his side and helping him in his time of need. He closed his eyes and went to sleep. While sleeping peacefully for several minutes, he started to toss and turn once more.

Yugi's Dream

A young boy with tri-color hair sat alone in his room. Even though the sun was out and the sky was so clear, he had no place to be. He had no one to play with. He wanted to go outside, but no one would be waiting for him or talk with him.

All the boy had were some board games scattered across his room. His mother had scolded him to pick up all the pieces, but he felt like if he had then all of his joy coming from within the pieces would disappear. He continued to sit in his room detached from reality until someone opened his door. A man with short black hair and blonde bangs came into the room.

"Hey," the man greeted softly.

The young boy turned around. A genuine smile came upon his face. He quickly stood up and dashed over to the man.

"Daddy!" he greeted back. "I missed you!"

"I missed you, too," the man laughed as he embraced the young child. He then pulled the boy away as he said, "It's too nice of a day to be spent indoors."

"I know," the child said as he looked at the floor feeling ashamed. "I'm sorry, Daddy."

"Then let's not waste any more time, Yugi," the man said with a calm smile. He took his son's hand and led him out of the room.

The father and son walked together side by side on their way to the park. The father politely listened as his child prattled on about one thing and then another. The two enjoyed themselves throwing a ball, playing in the sandbox, and blowing bubbles.

Hours felt like minutes, and the sun was soon melting into the horizon. From the bench, Yugi jumped down as he tried his best to chase a butterfly. When the tiny creature disappeared Yugi turned around expecting to see his father, but the man was nowhere in sight.

The young boy walked in the park alone, lost and afraid. The sun was setting, and the lack of light caused several shadows to become long and creepy looking.

"Daddy?" Yugi called out. "Where are you?"

He was scared about his surroundings and wanted to go home. After walking unaccompanied for a few minutes that seemed more like hours, he started to cry.

"Yugi?" a man called out.

The child looked up and was overjoyed. He ran towards the man with black hair and blonde bangs and yelled, "Daddy! I'm so glad you found me."

"I'm so glad you're all right!" the man said as he happily embraced his son.

End Dream

Yugi awoke to the sun rising. He sat up straight with a smile on his face. He was very happy he was found by someone who had always cared about him.

"Dad," Yugi whispered to himself. He clinched his fists. "Yes, I shall do my best and make everyone proud!"

Just then, his alarm clock went off.

/Yugi, you need to get up now!/ Yami reminded his partner as he appeared. /You don't want to be late, do you?/

Yugi stretched and replied, /I don't know, do you want to do Yoga again?/

/No./ Yami stated as he rapidly returned to the Puzzle.

Yugi couldn't help but laugh. He committed his usual routine of preparing for school. As he placed his Puzzle over himself, Yami couldn't help but notice his partner seemed to be in an unusually good mood for the mornings.

"_Perhaps he's feeling like himself again_," he noted to himself as his light headed towards school.

xxx

Somewhere in Domino City, two men were talking about some interesting news. They were in a small room with two giant windows. Above them was a fan spinning around to keep cool. The area also contained a bookshelf with several books placed upon it, a simple red rug on the floor, and two paintings of a simple outdoor scenery.

"So, what you're saying is this, Millennium Puzzle, has some sort of power behind it?" a man with shoulder length hair asked while sitting at his desk in a large red chair.

"Yes, that is correct. The artifact originated from Egypt and is now in the hands of a young card game champion named Yugi Moto." a man with simple brown hair answered.

"Moto, eh?" a man looked up for his seat, revealing a pair of gray eyes. He smiled an arrogant, evil smile and said, "Perhaps getting this Puzzle will be easier than expected."

The man stood up and pushed a small button on his phone located on his desk on top of a green desktop.

"Get me Izumi Moto on the line," he ordered. "Since he's taking care of some business for me, perhaps he wouldn't mind bringing along his son for a ride."

**To be continued…**

Chao- Ain't it great to be up late reading and writing fan fics?

YChao- Only if you don't have a life.

Chao- True that.


	3. A Day Off

Chao- Hopefully the fans won't mind if this chapter's a little slow…

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

/Yami and Yugi mind link./

**Chapter 3:** **A Day Off**

The walk to school was peaceful. Yami watched his partner carefully, who had been experiencing what people nowadays call "mood swings". Much more laid to Yugi's moods than just the stress from the Sports Festival; only a few more days were to be drawn out until the competition arrived. As Yugi walked down the hallway of his school, he noticed more and more posters placed upon walls in advertisement for the mandatory event.

"_The student council must want to try and get everyone excited_," Yugi guessed. He sighed with discontent but continued his way to his lesson. He sat at his desk and glanced out towards the window.

"Good morning, Yugi," Tea greeted as she approached her friend's desk.

Yugi turned his attention towards the female teen and greeted back quietly, "Morning."

The girl could tell by the boy's tone he seemed distracted by something. Being a good companion, she wanted to help out, "Anything wrong?"

The small teen stayed quiet for a moment but then only shook his head.

Tea's smile faded a little. Not wanting to hurt Yugi, she decided to change the subject, "Um… How's the training been going? Has Joey and Tristan been useful?"

Yugi continued to seem to have his attention divided, but he managed to answer, "Fine."

The girl wanted to say more, but the bell had rung. There were no interruptions between class periods.

Yami observed carefully from the Puzzle about Yugi's behavior but could not say anything to distract his partner from his lessons and lectures. The boy would write down several facts in his notebook, pause, and have his mind wander from his studies for a moment. Although the link was not closed and Yami chose not to interfere, he was able to hear small words, such as "dad" and "fool" or phrases like, "I miss you" and "Mom called you a fool," that had crossed over into his mind. He left the real world to take a walk in his Soul Room while pondering what they meant as well as what was bothering Yugi.

Time passed slowly, but class finally came to an end. The same pattern repeated in the other periods, but lunch finally arrived. The group of friends met underneath a tree. They unpacked their lunches and enjoyed having tiny chats about regular life.

"Yug, you seem tired," Joey finally decided to say what was on everyone's mind out loud. He cracked a silly grin, "You haven't been staying up all night doing some sort of secret training, have you?"

The friend the group was worried about cracked a tiny smile of humor, "No, I'm too tired after all the training."

The boy stood up and excused himself to use the restroom to wash his face in order to wake up for the next class period.

Tea watched her friend carefully as he made his way to the restroom. She felt he was so distant from everyone. He tried to do his best in everything, but it appeared his heart wasn't participating. She only wanted to help her friend with his goal, but he seemed to be pushing everyone away.

"Let's let him be," Joey decided as he stood up. "We'll give him the afternoon off from all this training."

Tristan nodded in agreement, "If he continues to be this way, he may seriously injure himself if he pushes himself too hard."

Tea looked at the ground, worried something else might be wrong with her companion.

Class continued on like normal. While skimming her book, Tea looked over at Yugi and noticed he was gazing out the window. She observed him sighing, and then picking up and staring into the pages without any interest. Not that the text was interesting to begin with, but Tea did not want Yugi to fail any assignments just for the sake of a silly competition. When the lecture was over, she took in a big breath and walked over to her small friend.

"Hey, Yugi," she greeted with her usual cheerful attitude. "Do you want to do something after school today?"

The teen politely declined, "I still need to continue on with my training."

He casually walked over to his other two friends and asked, "What are we going to work on today?"

The two taller teens looked at each other and nodded.

"Sorry, Yug," Joey began. "We can't do anything today."

"Yeah, my sister needs me to run some errands for her." Tristan explained.

"And I'm just going over to tease him about it," the blonde grinned while the brunette sighed.

"Well… don't you need any help?" Yugi asked, wanting to be a good friend. "It… This doesn't have to be part of training! We… we could just do it all together!"

The two taller teens couldn't help but snicker.

"It's fine, Yug," Joey tried to cheer up.

"Yeah, you've been working hard." Tristan said. "Why not take today off?"

Joey placed his arm around his vertically challenged buddy, bent over a little, and whispered, "Why not just do some Yoga with Tea?"

Yugi felt his face growing red.

"Just kidding! See you tomorrow!" Joey teased and left with Tristan following him.

Yugi sighed in defeat and frustration. He had plenty of energy and was ready to do his best once more.

"Hey, Yugi," Tea called with sympathy in her tone.

The small teen turned around and saw his friend still standing in the empty classroom.

"Um…" she stuttered trying to figure what to do about the situation.

Yugi smiled and insisted, "We could Yoga if you want."

Tea blushed a little but shook her head. She was excited Yugi wanted to do some activity with her, but she did not want him to injure himself working twice as hard since he would not be active in his usual training.

"Why don't we just go for a walk?" Tea suggested. "I may be able to stretch, but I can't really run or do pushups….We can get some exercise, and it won't be so strenuous on me."

The teen thought his option.

"Are you sure," he asked, not wanting to feel total pity. "I… I don't want to force you into doing something you may not want to do."

The girl smiled and nodded, "It'll be just like old times."

Yugi smiled and agreed.

As Tea walked her way out of the room, Yami appeared by Yugi's side.

/Going someplace?/ he asked out of curiosity.

/Nowhere special,/ Yugi answered. /Just an easy exercise between me and Tea./

Yami grinned, /Any place can be special if it's with the right person./

The teen felt his face grow red once more.

"What's that supposed to mean!" he yelled out loud.

"Yugi?" Tea called out, seeing her friend as though he was angry by himself.

Yami laughed and said, /I'll just leave you two alone./

He vanished from sight.

The boy sighed and strolled over towards Tea's side and the two left the room.

After a brief moment of awkward silence, Tea asked, "Everything ok?"

Yugi rubbed his head while feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Yeah, everything's fine," he answered while looking at the floor.

The two companions walked out of the building and down a cement path along with several other people and students. The two childhood friends chatted about meaningless subjects but managed to have a good time together. They passed by several buildings they would usually go in and check out the new items, but today was just a day for walking and sightseeing.

Tea gazed down at the gold object around Yugi's neck. She stared directly into the center where the eye laid. She knew Yugi and the spirit of the Puzzle had a strong bond after being through so much together.

"_If he doesn't want to talk to any of us about his situation, then maybe he can at least talk with the Pharaoh_."

A tiny flash came from the artifact. Yugi didn't seem to notice, but Tea felt the Item was telling her to go the park. She happily took two steps a head of Yugi, turned back around and said, "Yugi, there's something I'd like to talk to you about."

Yugi stopped walking and looked directly at Tea.

"What is it," he asked with a bit of concern.

Tea smiled as she winked, "You'll have to catch me first!"

With that, she took off.

"Hey!" Yugi called out a bit stunned at her action. "Wait for me!"

The boy chased after the girl. It appeared he could not keep up. All around him was darkness. What laid only in his view was Tea. She seemed to be moving at her normal pace, but Yugi felt he was slowing down. The thought of him being separated from his first friend filled his heart with stress; he did not want to be away from his companion. Tea had always been there for him even before the Puzzle.

Yugi's legs quickly found the energy to move faster against the cold, grey cement. He found his target. He grew surprised she was slowing down while he was speeding up. After running across a field of green grass, he grabbed Tea by her wrist.

The two of them stopped moving.

Tea turned around, but she was not at all surprised by the action of her buddy.

Yugi looked into a pair of blue eyes, and then immediately pulled his hand away.

"I'm sorry," he said as he gazed away.

Tea smiled and insisted, "There's no need to worry about that."

Yugi was unsure of what to say. He was glad he could run faster than he had been before, but his entire mind was swirling around with so many thoughts and emotions. He was unsure of what to do.

"Well, you caught me," Tea reminded after a minute of silence.

Yugi looked up and saw she was smiling. He couldn't help but smile in return; he was always fond of her smile the most. The grin on her face was always filled with her positive attitude and hope. Yugi took a big breath and asked, "What was it you wanted to talk about?"

The girl turned around and stayed quiet for a moment.

Yugi waited patiently for his replied. The girl spun around quickly which caught Yugi off guard. He was soon face to face with his childhood friend, who had a serious look on her face. He found himself becoming a tad frightened as that was the expression she gave before she would scold him or lecture him when the two were younger. He swallowed a hard lump in his throat while becoming anxious.

Tea shut her eyes and smiled once more as she stated calmly and happily, "Just… Do your best."

Yugi grew perplexed at what was just said to him. He then understood where his friend was coming from. She was only concerned about him and did not want him to change into someone who was negative about life and only worried about competition. He smiled and nodded.

Tea took two steps away and said, "Well, I need to get going."

Yugi nodded once more and waved goodbye.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" she said, and then departed.

The teen boy looked at his surroundings. He was glad he received some encouragement, but that did not keep sadness from entering his heart. His bangs covered his face. He clinched his fingers into fists. The place where he was standing was where he and Tea first met.

"_Did she plan this from the start_," he wondered. "_Or was this all coincidence?_"

He sighed and sat underneath a tree. He looked around and saw many trees surrounding the area. The sky was clear with only a few clouds drifting by. From his position, Yugi saw many children playing either with their group of friends or family. He pulled his legs closer to himself as he watched with both joy and sadness. He remembered times where his parents would bring him to the park and play.

The entire time was filled with happiness as he and his parents would take strolls on the path or have Yugi's mother sit on the bench while Yugi and his father would play in the sandbox. The boy closed his eyes as he imagined a woman sitting on a bench while he and a somewhat taller man would take his hand and play on the swings. Sometimes the man would cause mischief and play with the water fountain causing Yugi and the woman to get wet. Sadness crept its way into his heart as those days were long gone. The boy, now adolescent, buried his head into his knees as a part of him wanted to go back to that time.

/Something wrong?/ a spirit asked with concern for his friend as he appeared in front of his lighter half. He unhappily felt the boy go through another mood swing.

Yugi looked up and saw his darker half looking at him with an expression of tender and care. He was unsure of what to say.

After a brief moment of silence, he replied quietly, "I… I just need some time alone… If… if you don't mind."

Yami nodded with understanding and retreated back to the Puzzle.

Yugi buried his head into his knees once more. He felt ashamed for sending his friend away, but he was unsure of what to say. He did not want to be alone, yet at the same time he didn't want anyone around. He could not fully explain his feelings, and he did not want his friend to worry about him. For now, the best choice was to be alone and allow all thoughts and emotions to calm down and find a place to rest.

The sun started to set. Families and groups of friends gathered their belongings and heading home.

/Yugi,/ called the spirit with care. He had chosen to grant his partner's wish, but he did not want any harm to come to Yugi as people like to cause horrible trouble after the sun went down. He only wanted what was best for his lighter half, so he advised, /It's late, and you should be heading home now./

The boy remained quiet. He continued to hold his position, not wanting to move.

Yami appeared next to Yugi. He could see he was having some sort of distorted emotional rollercoaster and may not be up to the task of taking the trip home. He decided to offer, /Do you want me to take over and walk home?/

Yugi looked towards his darker half, stunned to hear an interesting, kind gesture coming from his darker half. He at first did not want to be a burden towards Yami, yet he was not ready to talk with anyone.

/Do you… know the way?/ he finally asked, wanting to ensure that his partner did not take up the task only for them to both be lost.

Yami nodded, /If it's just from here to the game shop, I should be fine. Although it is becoming darker and seeing all the street signs may be harder./

Yugi looked back to the grass and nodded.

A bright flash occurred, and the dark spirit now stood where his partner was.

/Thank you,/ the boy said before cutting off the link.

"Yugi," Yami whispered as he held on to the Puzzle tightly. He was at first shocked at his partner's action but soon realized Yugi just needed some time by himself.

He took a step and began the journey home. He felt better inhaling the cool, crisp air. He strolled down the familiar road and passed by several buildings he had seen while out with Yugi. Fortunately for him, he made it to the Turtle Game shop with ease.

He walked quietly through the door and took off his shoes, as that was what he saw Yugi do even though he never understood the reason behind it. He walked up the stairs and into his partner's room. He was quite proud of himself for walking from the park back home without having any problems. He also enjoyed being out of the Puzzle for a bit.

His smile faded, unsure if Yugi was ready to take control once more. He had unhappily observed Yugi had gone through several mood swings throughout the past few days.

"We're here," Yami finally stated out loud for the adolescent to hear, unsure if the mind link remained closed. Another flash of light occurred, and Yami was replaced with his lighter half. He looked over towards Yugi in his transparent state.

"Feeling better?" he asked gently, not wanting to disturb Yugi. He did not receive a response. He figured it was best to let his partner to continue to be alone. Before retreating to the Puzzle, he felt someone embrace him. He gazed down and saw Yugi was the one. He grew baffled what the gesture was all about but embraced the boy.

After a moment of silence, Yugi said quietly, "Thank you."

Yami smiled and replied, "I'm glad you're all right."

"I've just… had a lot on my mind…" Yugi tried explained.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Yami offered as he pulled Yugi away.

The teen's giant orbs met with a pair of eyes that appeared so caring. Yugi closed his pupils and shook his head.

"Not now," he answered. "I'm… tired..."

The spirit smiled and nodded. Returning to his Puzzle, he reminded, "I'll be here when you do."

xxx

Downstairs within the den of the house, Yugi's mother sat in a chair attempting to read a book. Her mind was diverted between the pages of the action between characters and the phone that rang. The other two family members were already within their rooms and most likely asleep. The woman did not have the courage to answer the communication device that was making too much noise.

She sighed realizing she could either answer the thing or disconnect it. She finally decided to stand up from her position and walked towards the phone. She glared at a tiny screen from the modern white phone. The name that was on the small green screen had light green letters and read Izumi.

She decided to not pick up the other end and watched as the object vibrated.

Eventually, the phone stopped ringing.

The answering machine went off and the other line left a message, "Um… Hello? Anyone there? …. Um…Guess not… It's me, Izumi…. I thought I'd call and let you know that I'm almost there… Um… I was hoping to speak with all of you, especially Yugi, but I'll try again later…."

The woman could feel tears build up. She tried her hardest to fight them, but the battle was tough. Her eyes widen towards the end of the message, "Mitsuki…. I know you're up and probably listening to this… So, I'm sorry for calling this late… I hope we can chat real soon."

Another tiny screen on the phone went to having a number one in view.

The woman buried her face into her hands as she dropped her book.

"Izumi, you fool!" she mumbled to herself. "Don't you know people are trying to sleep!"

xxx

Yugi walked towards his dresser and took out a pair of clean pajamas. He removed his dirty uniform and placed on the other threads. Making his way to his bed, he couldn't help but smile.

He button up his shirt, reminiscent about his dream earlier, and mumbled, "Dad, you were a fool to forget about me in the park that day. It's no wonder Mom would get mad at you and asked for a divorce."

**To be continued…**

Chao- Muhaha! How's THAT for originality?

Yugi- You mean my Mom divorced my Dad?

YChao- Well, your dad was never shown in the manga or anime so…

Yami- But didn't the author say Yugi's father was just on a business trip?

YChao- Your point?

Chao- Thank you all who left a review!


	4. A Midnight Conversation

Chao- How can Chao procrastinate homework if Chao does not have a due date?

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

/Yami and Yugi's mind link./

**Chapter 4:** **A Midnight Conversation**

A young teen awoke in the middle of the night. His mind quickly swirled with long ago memories from his past. He remembered when he was younger he would pretend to be asleep but could easily hear arguments coming from downstairs. At that time he did not understand, but the voices he heard were his parents, and they were arguing about adult situations.

He recalled his mother always being in a foul mood while his father never seemed to take anything seriously. When things became too rough in the middle of the day, he remembered his grandparents would take him outside to play. Even now, he may not remember anything specific, but one day, his father had packed up his things and left.

The little boy would ask everyone, "_Where's Daddy?_"

There would be a moment of silence and then someone would explain, "_Daddy isn't going to be living here anymore_."

"_Why?_"

"_He's out exploring his own journey_."

"_Oh… Will he ever come back?_"

"…._Give him time_…."

Yugi sat up and rubbed his head. It wasn't until he was older that his grandpa explained his mother divorced his father. He was glad he saw his father occasionally, but now he was in high school, and it had been a long time since he last saw his old man. Tears formed, but he resented them.

"_I'm so close in my goal in doing better for the school's competition_," he reminded himself harshly. "_Why is everything falling apart on me?_"

He wiped away a single tear that had threatened to fall.

"_No! I can't do this now!_" he scolded himself. "_Everyone is counting on me to do my best!_"

He jumped out of bed and walked briskly to the restroom just down the hall. No other lights were on, so he was careful in watching his footing. He turned on the bathroom light and washed his face. The cool water felt great and refreshing on his warm flesh. The water was also helping in washing away some problems. After staring into the sink for a bit, he reached for a towel to dry his face. He paused for a second, but then he turned off the light and wandered back to his room.

His eyes had adjusted, so walking back to his room was easier. He stopped after entering his room. He stared at the floor but was not looking for anything in particular. He only saw his dark green carpet in dim lighting. He could slightly see his shadow and the shadows from the other objects in his room, but there was nothing significant had to stop and notice for.

/Yugi?/ a gentle voiced questioned. Yami appeared in his transparent form to see what was disturbing his light.

Yugi continued to be mute; he only stared at the floor with a sad and distant look.

Yami stayed quiet as well. He remembered a few months ago Yugi had acted like this a night or so ago before the start of the Battle City Tournament. Talking to the teen was difficult that night. He was unsure if he should ask what was wrong or try and say something comforting.

"_Should I say anything at all?_" Yami pondered about the best decision. He glanced out the window and saw a giant, round, glowing, silver ball in the cloudless sky. He stated with a gentle smile, /What a nice moon./

Yugi stared out the window and saw what his partner saw. When he was younger, he had a strong disliking of the moon: He always assumed something evil would take place or he would turn into a monster if he was caught by the moon's light. His mind was always fearful of that notion due to all the scary stories he had been told. However, it was thanks to his father that he was able to enjoy the sight of the moon. He couldn't help but smile thinking, "_Maybe if Dad hadn't forgot about me in the park that day, I might still be afraid of it_."

Yugi snickered remembering that his mother's name was Mitsuki, which meant "beautiful full moon" in Japanese. He finally climbed into bed but was not ready to fall asleep. His mind was too distracted with so many ideas about his family, friends, and school.

Whenever he was like this, he liked to fiddle around with either a game piece or his Duel Monsters deck. He stretched over to his desk and pulled out his cards. The deck was not entirely his since Yami had also assisted in placing the right cards together that had helped them both succeed in victory against countless opponents.

"_Both Yami's and my heart are within these cards_…" Yugi gently reminded himself. He remembered not too long ago during one of his biggest crisis with a certain school bully he placed together the Millennium Puzzle, which helped calm him down and later in the same night make friends.

Yami observed his light. One moment the teen's face was happy like his normal self, and the next it was filled with either fear or anxiety. He watched as Yugi flipped through the cards several times then eventually scattered them on to his bed.

"_Perhaps if he cannot talk to me about his situation, maybe at least having a conversation about Duel Monsters will ease his mind_." Yami pondered as he stepped closer.

/There are so many cards we have,/ he noted out loud.

Yugi did not reply; he only continued with his focus on his deck. For a split second, his eyes returned to reality, but then vanished back into his own world.

"And they've all assisted us in defeating Pegasus and the evil within Malik," Yami stated.

There was a moment of silence between the two.

The former pharaoh waited anxiously for any response before Yugi finally replied, "Yes… They have been… a great help."

The spirit noted his partner's eyes flickering between his duelist spark and being dull. He sensed this simple conversation may be a way for him to help out. He continued with his observations and new strategy ideas. The teen listened carefully and would agree.

Soon, the young adult laughed and sought out new combos from the cards placed in front of him. The problems that spun around his head were temporarily placed to rest.

Yami had wanted this for his light, but things may become worse if the teen continued to go through his emotional rollercoaster alone. He decided to take a chance and see if his friend was ready to say what has been at bother to him for the past few days.

/Is there something on your mind you want to talk about?/ Yami asked as he took a step closer to Yugi's bed.

The teen did not glance up towards his darker half. He clutched his sheets in between his fingers tightly.

"_What _can_ I say to Yami?_" he inquired. "_We've been through a lot together… and I've been able to talk with him about anything but… He doesn't remember his past. How can he help me if he doesn't remember his own family? Will I insult him if I do ask?_"

The boy only sighed and continued to look sad and distracted.

Yami gazed away from his light. "_Yugi… you and I have faced many villains together… You risked your life countless times for your friends… for me… and I will be forever in gratitude for that… But now my heart aches seeing you in agony like this… I want to help you… But, I don't blame you for pushing me aside_."

He clinched his fists with unhappiness, "_I had pushed you aside before as I did not want you to worry about me… I didn't want to hurt you… Are you doing the same?_"

He took a big breath, and then sat next to Yugi on his bed. He rubbed the boy's back for comfort.

Yugi glanced up from his sheets and saw a pair of purple eyes that were calm and filled with care.

Yami smiled. The puppy dog eyes the dark spirit looked into were filled with sorrow but also contained a hint of relaxation knowing someone was there for him.

"Yugi," Yami said gently. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Yugi looked away and nodded.

"Even if I can't fully help you," Yami stated. "I can at least listen. It's not healthy for a person to keep their emotions to themselves."

Yugi quickly turned his attention towards the former pharaoh with his eyes becoming slightly wider with shock and awe. He whispered, "That's what… Dad used to say…"

"What?" Yami asked, not catching the words his partner stated.

"You're… you're right," Yugi agreed as his eyes returned to his normal state. "_Even if Yami doesn't remember who he is… He's always been there for me_."

Slowly, he opened up to his darker half. He poured his heart out, and Yami embraced him. He informed his other half how his dad was his best friend, but due to his job could not be around as often. There were also problems between his father and mother. Eventually, he discussed the sad matter of the divorce that took place. A few tears fell down his face.

The dark spirit continued to hold his friend as the teen took a moment to shed some tears.

Yugi hated the fact his parents were no longer together, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. The decision might have been the only option if too many problems took place.

Yami grew stunned about what he was being told. There was so much drama within the Moto household he never noticed before. Then again, he was trapped within the pieces of a broken Puzzle and was not available to assist his new friend. He was aware of his partner's grandfather and mother, but the idea of Yugi's father had not really occurred to his mind. There had never been any drama before. Was this because the two were busy saving the world from total destruction?

The young boy also mentioned his stress for the Sports Festival. Although he did not talk about any mishaps that occurred the previous year, he had said it would not be fair to anyone on his team if he does not try his best.

Yami was at least glad Yugi trusted him with this type of information and personal matters.

When finished, Yugi smiled a genuine smile. He felt better for admitting what was a bother to him. He was very happy to know he had a great friend like Yami, who listened to his problems and not judge him.

"_It's good to see that smile once more_," Yami grinned as he brushed Yugi's bangs away from his face. "_And not just any smile, but your smile_."

xxx

Somewhere in Domino City

"Yes! I'm finally in Domino City!" cheered an average size man with short black hair and blonde bangs. He wore a simple blue collar shirt and black pants. He may not like having to dress so properly, but it was a company policy, and he was grateful to at least have a job. He happily skipped through his temporary office building knowing what city he was in.

"I can't wait to see everyone! I wonder how much has change. I'd go out and explore right now, but my boss needs to see me."

The man sighed. There was no helping it. He needed to do what his boss had ordered; otherwise, he would risk losing his job he finally had. He sighed once more as walked down a simple hallway.

"_The company isn't doing at all that well_," he thought to himself as he continued on with his way in silence. "_Hopefully this new project will launch and we can get things to become busy… Otherwise I may lose my job, Mitsuki will give me a harsh lecture, and Yugi may be disappointed in me!_"

Izumi clinched his fists together as he encouraged himself out loud, "I can't do that! I will make my son proud!"

"Uh… Mr. Izumi Moto?" another man asked curiously, wondering if he co-worker was fine.

"Err…" was all that Izumi could say flat out embarrassed. He brushed the incident behind him and stood in front of a simple brown door. He took a big breath and knocked.

"You wanted to see me, sir," he asked as he entered into a small room.

Another man with black, shoulder length hair sat at his simple, wooden desk. He wore a green suit with a white shirt and red tie. He looked up and revealed his grey eyes. He smiled, "Yes, glad you can make it, Mr. Moto."

Izumi stepped through and laughed nervously, "Well Zuri, you are my boss. What else can I do you for?"

The man named Zuri was quiet for a moment.

Izumi waited anxiously for a replied.

"I already know you plan to do some extra work for this company a little north of Domino City, correct?" Zuri began. His worker nodded his head.

"And this is your hometown, is it not?"

Izumi nodded his head once more.

"Doesn't your family also live by? Your ex-wife and former in-law?" Zuri continued to question while Izumi was a bit confused as to why he was being interviewed in such a manner. However, because Zuri was his boss, he was afraid to ask the reason behind this.

"Yes, I believe you've already met them," Izumi laughed nervously once more.

"Indeed I have," Zuri replied. "But don't you also have a son? I've heard a young adolescent named Yugi Moto had recently won the Battle City Tournament held by Kaiba Corporation. Is it possible you two are related? He has the same last name as you, and you both share some similar features."

Izumi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He gazed to the wooden floor, away from his boss, as he was lost in his own world for a bit. "_Well… my son does have a bit of my looks, like parts of my hair. He also has some genes from Mitsuki, but I think he got his main traits from Solomon… As to where he received those puppy dog eyes I'll never know_."

"Izumi?" Zuri called out.

"Uh… Yes, Yugi Moto is my son." Izumi confirmed while snapping back into reality. "Though purely by coincidence, Mitsuki and I had the same last name even before we got married…."

"I see." Zuri said with some fascination.

Izumi took in a big breath and informed, "I… hadn't seen my son in a while and I was hoping to have at least one day off before I continue on with the latest project."

The man was still waiting patiently for a reply. He had sent in the request in advancement like all employees were required to do, but for some reason he had yet to receive any answer. He waited submissively and was hoping to attain an answer now and inform his family when the exact date will be.

"Well, this is a big project that we are working on," Zuri began.

Izumi gazed back at the ground. He assumed with his boss's tone the answer may not be in his favor. He wanted to see his son and see how his child had changed over the years. The last time he had a chance to see him, young Yugi was barely starting high school. Izumi longed to be there and encourage his child to do his best. He also wanted to cheer up his son by saying high school is a new place, and in time, he will make friends.

"I might be able to give you the afternoon off," Zuri finally stated.

"R-Really?" Izumi asked becoming excited. The time he was able to spent with his son may not be a long time, as Izumi would need to head north the following morning, but it was something.

"Although, I am quite interested in meeting your son," Zuri said. "Why don't you bring him along with you?"

Izumi became stunned at his boss's request.

"Can… can I do that?" he questioned as what appeared to be too good to be true.

Zuri chuckled and explained, "Although he may appear like a grade school student, if he's as old as the paper says, I'm going to assume he's not a little kid and can handle himself among the workplace and with adults."

"Ah… Yes, you're right," Izumi agreed as he rubbed his arm.

"The hotel you're staying in is already paid for by the company, one more guest shouldn't be a problem." Zuri informed, trying to sound understanding. "I'm sure many of my other employees may be also interested in meeting him as well."

"Yes! I'll ask my son as soon as I can!" Izumi made his way to the door but managed to say with all his heart as he did a little bow. "Thank you!"

Zuri was left alone in his small room. He laced his fingers together and pulled them close to his face as he leaned forward to his desk. He smiled an evil smile and chuckled a little.

"Everything is falling into place…. The project for increasing the company's profits is going well… getting the Puzzle may be easier than expected… Especially if this Yugi Moto is as foolish as his father…"

**To be continued…**

Chao- Ice cream! Ice cream! Yay!


	5. One Last Effort

Chao- It feels good to write this again.

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

/Yami and Yugi's mind link./

**Chapter 5: One Last Effort**

Yugi glanced out his window as morning finally rose. The night was long for both the teen and the spirit who dwelled in the Millennium Puzzle that sat upon a desk. Yugi was glad he was able to say what was on his mind to a friend he cared about and vice versa.

The former pharaoh watched the adolescent carefully. The boy's spirit was well, but a small portion remained a little restless. The teen seemed fine, but something else troubled him.

/Just tell your friends what you told me./ Yami advised to ease his partner.

/I know./ Yugi replied as he placed over his treasure. He looked at the artifact lost in thought once more.

/Is there something else that's bothering you?/ the spirit asked, wanting to ensure his light was fine.

/…There is…/ the adolescent finally admitted. /But… I think it'll be easier if I explain it to everyone at once./

/All right./ Yami agreed. /Just remember we're all here for you./

Yugi smiled at the last statement.

Gathering the rest of his school supplies, he placed them in his bag. He walked out of his room and down into the kitchen. His greeted his family members and was off to school.

Arriving in his classroom, he greeted his friends and sat at his desk. He started his morning with his usual routine of talking with his companions before the beginning of class. The group all appeared to be in their usual good mood. When the bell rang, everyone shuffled towards their desk as class began.

Yugi pulled out his heavy textbook and notes and was ready for his studies to start. He paid attention for the most part but was distracted once in a while. He glanced out the window and became lost in thought. His friends noticed this and grew concerned. When their class had completed, they decided to speak with him.

"Yo, Yug, everything ok?" Joey immediately asked.

"Hmm?" Yugi replied as he looked up. He glanced around and saw how worried his friends looked. He understood he needed to tell them something. He sighed as he said, "Yeah… but, there's something I need to talk to you."

"What's up?" Tristan asked.

"I'll… talk about it at lunch." Yugi replied. "I promise."

"Ok." Tea agreed.

The group departed and went their separate paths for their different classes. Joey and Yugi happily went over towards their next lesson together. When the morning periods were finally done, the group went and grabbed their lunches.

Yugi strolled over to his locker and placed his stuff away. He then walked down a long hallway towards a door. Behind it was a flight of stairs. He stepped up each one carefully, so he would not trip. Arriving to the top, he greeted his companions once more in their usual spot. Everyone ate their food.

"So, Yug, what's up?" Joey asked as he referred to the problem that had been eating away at his small buddy.

The small teen looked around. He believed now was the time to tell everyone, including the spirit of the Puzzle, what else was bothering him. He took a big breath and told them the unfortunate incident that took placed the year before.

"Yugi! I'm so sorry that happened to you!" Tea gasped as she placed her hands over her mouth. Even though she was his only friend at the time, she didn't know about the beating.

"It's ok." Yugi tried to ease everyone. He believed he managed to overcome what he had to endure before and wanted to move forward.

"No! It's not!" Joey disagreed unhappily.

"Yeah man," Tristan responded. "People shouldn't beat you up just because of a little game."

"You should have told us earlier," the blonde said as he punched one fist into his other hand. "We could have done something."

"Violence wouldn't solve anything!" Yugi argued. "It would just be an endless cycle of pain! Besides, nothing more can be done; the ones who beat me up transferred schools."

Silence fell among the group.

Yugi glared at the ground. He didn't want to mention what happened to him but believed it would be fair for himself to lift his negative emotions off his chest. He hoped by doing so he could train with less pressure.

Tea, who usually had something to say, remained quiet. She understood the way her small friend was and agreed. There really wasn't anything else to be done.

Yami appeared out of the gold pyramid. His eyes widened upon the truth but grew speechless. He wanted to say something comforting but waited; he could always talk with his partner at a later time and in private. He believed the other teens needed to speak first.

Joey understood the excitement of winning and the disappointment of losing, but he did not concur with the notion of beating up a teammate being acceptable. However, he had hoped the small teen had moved on from the torment he and the brunette had done against him. He finally asked with a serious look but hurt in his eyes, "So, you thought me and Tristan would beat you up if you didn't win?"

"No, that's not it!" Yugi said as he glanced back up. He became surprised hearing such a question come from one friend he cared about. He knew why his pals were worried about the situation, but he had no desire for a misunderstanding. He explained the reason why he was pushing himself hard. "I… I just didn't want to let you guys down. It would be unfair to the both of you if I didn't try my best."

"Yugi, you know we're not asking you to win the Olympics, right?" Tristan asked.

The petite adolescent nodded. He had faith in his friends but not in himself. He was never great at any physical competitions like the other two teens were. He truly just wanted to do his best.

"Then that's all that matters!" Joey stated with a grin. "We won't care what place you come in as long as you do your best!"

Yugi smiled, glad his companions accepted him for whom he was.

"Just promise us you won't overdue anything and hurt yourself!" Joey conditioned.

"Yeah," Tristan agreed. "It sure would suck if you ended up breaking an arm or leg and couldn't participate."

"I promise!" Yugi vigorously nodded.

The bell rang signifying lunch time was over. The group left the roof of the building to head back towards class.

/I'm sorry about what happened to you./ Yami finally joined in. /People allow themselves to be swallowed by the thrill of competition and become angry when their plan does not work out./

/I know./ Yugi agreed.

/I'm glad you were able to talk about this./ the spirit said with a smile.

/Me too,/ the teen grinned. /Thanks for understanding./

When school finished for the day, the group walked towards a baseball filed. The time was now to practice the bigger sports for the school's class' competition. Joey carried a bat while Tristan and Yugi wore brown baseball gloves. Tea sat on a bench with the boys' bags, as well as the Millennium Puzzle. Even though she would not be participating in practice nor the actual game, she wanted to show her moral support for all three of her friends, especially the vertically challenge one.

"Ok Yug," Joey began enthusiastically. "Baseball is one of the big sports that's played for the Sports Festival. It's also huge in both America and Japan. So let's get started!"

The small teen nodded. He spent his early program running and getting into shape; now was the time for the actual playing to begin. The group started the routine with the blonde hitting the ball and Yugi retrieving it. At times he caught the fast moving ball while with others the object would bounce through the open space between his legs. He would occasionally stumble to the ground but stood up as quickly as he could.

"Wait a go Yug!" Joey cheered.

"Nice work, man!" Tristan encouraged.

When Yugi was up to bat his heart beat rapidly with anxiety and joy. He was glad to experience a new thrill with his friends.

"Here it comes!" Joey said as he prepared his pitch. As he threw the ball, the small teen kept his eyes on it. When he felt the time was right, he swung the bat and hit the projectile. As he did, he let go of the bat, and the object flew and hit the gate that was not too far from the batter's box.

"Whoops." Yugi said, feeling embarrassed.

"Nice hit, Yugi!" Joey laughed. "But next time hold on to the bat until the very end!"

/Great work!/ Yami cheered though the two's link, /You can do this!/

He chuckled a little seeing his light scurry through the green field in search of a small ball with red stitches. Since he had trouble keeping up with Yoga, a part of him was glad he did not have to endure the tough challenge of physical sports. On the other hand, he was a little glum he was not playing along with Yugi and everyone else. But he was satisfied he could cheer on the teen, like the boy had done for him in the past. He glanced towards the female member of the group.

As Tea sat on the bench and watch, her mind wandered. She remembered how much trouble her friend had with sports. He was not too great at them, and he did not enjoy the same thrill many of the other boys had. She was proud of Yugi for taking action and preparing himself for his friends with his friends. Her smile faded a bit. Even though she would like to have more female companions, she never really thought about how much trouble it was to be a male. She was aware about Yugi being bullied and beaten for him being himself. After some time of thought, she didn't know why, but there was a moment of comfort for her. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder offering condolences.

She smiled once more and cheered towards Yugi mentally, "_Just remember you're with friends__,__ and everything will be ok_."

The group practiced until the sun went down. Everyone walked with Yugi back towards the game shop, so no one would stumble in the dark alone. After a water break and a quick chat, everyone departed.

Yugi was about to head towards his room when he glanced at a hanging calendar. He counted how many more days were left until the Sports Festival. He was lost in thought. He wondered why memories of his dad were floating around his head. Lifting up the calendar and flipping through the past few months, he realized he hadn't seen his father in a while. He recalled for the past few months he was very busy between school, friends, and fighting against the darkness along the side of a spirit in the gold pyramid he proudly displayed. Even though he was happy to spend time with the people he cared about, he missed his father.

"How was practice?" Solomon asked his grandson.

"Fine." Yugi answered as he continued to look at the dates. He believed the last time he saw his father was sometime between his end of middle school but before high school. He glared from the calendar towards his Puzzle he wore around his neck.

He remembered all the fun times he had with his friends and the spirit of the artifact. He had yet to show his dad what he managed to accomplish in between that time period. He decided to ask, "Um… Grandpa, do you know when my dad is coming for another visit? It's been awhile since I last saw him."

The old man chuckled a little and replied, "I'm sure he's doing all he can to get his work done and come over towards Domino. He may come around sooner than you think."

"Ok." Yugi answered as he went upstairs towards his room.

Xxx

The following week the group spent their time practicing soccer. Yugi had difficulty coordinating his feet with running and kicking a ball. Despite the challenge, he didn't give up. He tried many times to hit the black and white object into the net with little success as a result. He grew frustrated. The group comforted their friend and told him to not give up. Yugi agreed and took a deep breath to calm himself down. He mentally reminded himself even though it was a sport it was still a game. Games need a strong, calm mind in order to succeed in winning. He also knew he could count on his teammates to help him out.

"All right, let's try now with you being goalie." Joey instructed.

Yugi nodded. He walked across the field and stood in between the goal post.

The other two boys were on the other side and began to run, passing the ball between them.

Yugi stood his ground and held his arms up. He tried to prepare himself for when his two companions would kick and cause the ball to speed by.

As the ball went towards Tristan, he glanced over towards Joey. The two of them nodded in unison. The brunette prepared himself and kicked the ball towards the goalie.

Yugi saw how fast the object was moving. It was aiming right for him!

"Eep!" he yelled as he covered his face and crouched down. He allowed the ball to pass him and enter the net.

"Yug! You were supposed to block it!" Joey shouted from the middle of the field.

"But it was coming straight at me!" Yugi defended as he removed his hands from his face.

"That's a good thing!" Tristan explained. "You're the goalie, and you're supposed to stop the opponents from scoring!"

"I'm sorry." Yugi said as he glanced at the grass. He tried his best to not be afraid, but he panicked anyways and allowed the ball to enter.

"It's ok Yug." Joey assured as he walked closer towards the disappointed teen. "Let's try something else with you being goalie."

Yugi nodded.

The blonde grabbed the ball and moved a few feet away from the net. He placed the ball down in front of him and used his hands to instruct the goalie to stand up and stand in the center. He smiled as he said, "Let's try with me and Tristan kicking the ball towards the sides and you running after it and stopping it."

"Sounds like a good plan." Tristan agreed and Yugi nodded.

The two teens hit the ball in different directions. The young adolescent did his best to try and stop the moving ball. He was better at stopping the ball rather than doing the actual kicking.

"Nice work, Yugi!" Joey praised.

"Yeah, maybe we can have you as goalie." Tristan confidently suggested.

Yugi couldn't help but grin as he took pride in receiving new compliments.

The group gathered their things when they were done for the day.

Xxx

Somewhere in Domino City.

Izumi looked at a newspaper article. He kept the small portion about his son with him. He became glad seeing his boy participating in a new activity and making friends. The man then decided to give something a try.

"Hey, Izumi, we need a few extra members for a few shifts," said one worker as he walked by, "Think you can cover?"

Izumi pondered about the offer. Even though he wanted to be done with work as soon as possible and see his son, he knew he needed money for his new plan.

"Yeah, I'll take it," the man agreed, "But first let me make a call."

After the other employee left, Izumi dialed a few digits on the device. As the phone rang, he glanced down at the article once more. He smiled at seeing his son not only playing and announced the winner, but Yugi wore a genuine grin on his face. Izumi was proud of the boy for being more outgoing rather than being shy.

"Hello, Moto residence," answered an elderly gentleman on the other line.

"Hey, it's Izumi," the man replied.

"How's the trip so far?"

"Fine, but I have some bad news."

"What is it?"

"I won't be able to drop by like I said I could. I had to pick up a few extra shifts, so I won't be able to visit until a couple of days later."

"That's too bad. Yugi was recently asking about you."

"Really?"

"Yes. He was asking when your next visit will be."

"Well, I'll still be able to drop by, but it will just be later."

"Ok, then. Yugi is working really hard these past few days with his training. Hopefully he'll still be alive after this all ends."

"Ha ha I sure hope so! Oh, um, Solomon, I was hoping you could answer a question for me."

"Is it about Mitsuki? She's out right now."

"Err… No, it's actually a different question… I was hoping you could tell me a thing or two about the game Duel Monsters."

**To be continued…**

Chao- Quick chapter before the big day.

YChao- Hmm… So what do we have planned here?

Chao- Guess the readers will have to wait and see!


	6. Day of Competition

Chao- Let the mixings between father and son begin!

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

/Yami and Yugi's mind link./

**Chapter 6: Day of Competition**

"Today is the big day." Yugi mumbled to himself in his room.

Already dressed for school, he stood at his desk while looking out his window. He had spent his time working hard for himself and for his friends who were now his teammates. He had freely applied his free time for them and endured activities he was not fond of. However, his view on the situation had altered. He hoped he could find new hobbies to enjoy with the people he cared for when the big event was all over.

/How do you feel?/ Yami asked, noticing a bit of the teen's worry.

/… A little nervous./ Yugi admitted. /… I… I hope everything goes well./

/You have faith in your friends,/ the spirit stated. /You need to have faith in yourself./

The young adult sighed but smiled as well. To see how his training went would be decided. Despite some of his doubt, he knew all of his friends would be there by his side. After preparing himself mentally, he finally placed over his Puzzle.

Yami smiled seeing his partner calmed and confident. He was glad the teen had not suffered anymore nightmares since he told his friends about the issue he had been hiding. Although he longed to go back in time and punish the boys, he understood his light would not like the idea. He closed his eyes and smiled. He was always grateful to have someone by his side who was so willing to turn the other cheek and choose the path of forgiveness rather than revenge.

/Yami?/ Yugi called his partner's name.

The spirit opened his eyes and saw the teen was concerned for him.

He continued to smile as he said, /Go on and show Tea how cool you are./

The boy's face grew red. He turned away and stammered, "Y-Yami! I-I don't need any more pressure!"

Xxx

All the students of Domino High made their way towards the locker room to change. Many of them were wearing sweat pants and white, loose shirts. Some, on the other hand, chose fashion over comfort.

Yugi had on a white shirt and black sweat pants. He sat on a bench in the boy's room. He placed his belongings in his locker but still held his Puzzle in his hands. Everyone else had already left and was waiting for the whole ceremony to start. The teen didn't understand what was wrong with him. He reviewed in his head how many hours he spent training while having a wonderful time with his friends, but doubt continued to plague mind.

"Yo, Yug," a familiar voice called.

Yugi looked up and saw his two male friends waiting for him. Joey had on a white shirt with dark blue pants while Tristan had brown pants.

"You ready to go?" Tristan asked.

Yugi glanced back towards the floor. He wasn't sure if he was. Or if he ever would be.

"Look man," Joey began, taking a seat next to his worried friend. "You got this. We've been spending our time helping you out. It doesn't matter if you get first or last place. We all gotta do stuff we may be afraid of."

Yugi nodded; he understood where his companion was coming from.

Tristan took a seat as well and decided to try a different approach, "Remember Duelist Kingdom? How hard it was for everyone to either sneak onto the ship or face all those crazy duelist who wanted to get rid of you?"

Yugi nodded once more.

"Yeah, Yug," Joey responded, standing up with excitement. "You were there for me when I first started out. Now let's all be there for you in this Sports Festival!"

Yugi closed his eyes and smiled. He was very glad to have buddies like the ones he had now.

/You can do this,/ the teen heard a voice say. /You are stronger than you think./

Yugi stood up. He was ready to accept any challenges with his teammates. Placing his Puzzle in his locker, he heard, /I'll see you after this./

"Let's do this!" Joey cheered. "We're all in this together! And if anyone has a problem, then they'll have to deal with us!"

"Yeah!" Tristan rooted. "We'll stand up for our friend here!"

"Yep." Yugi agreed with a smile.

The group walked out the door and waited for the games to begin. After the principal gave a welcoming, empowering, and cheesy speech, the classes cheered with excitement. The first group to play was the boys on the baseball field.

Yugi stood at right field. Joey was in the left and Tristan was playing third base. The pitch was shot, and a bat was swung. The ball flew towards the field, and many teammates scurried around in an attempt to stop it while the others sprinted from one base to the next. The small teen did his best to either catch the ball or hit the object and run across the set path.

Unfortunately, the class the three boys were in lost.

Yugi took a seat on the bench with a disappointed look on his face.

"Don't sweat it, man." Tristan tried to comfort. "We only lost the game by a couple of runs."

"Yeah, Yug," Joey joined in. "This is just the first game! We still got a whole day of events! Let's not give up!"

"Ok." Yugi smiled.

"Come on, let's go see the girls play volley ball!" Joey heavily suggested as their next match wasn't for a while.

The other two boys followed from the baseball field to across the sports arena and towards the indoor gym. Many girls moved out the way for the next two classes to begin their competition.

The three boys took a seat on the benches. A few others came by as well. Yugi felt excited seeing his other friend play. He always grew glad seeing Tea work hard in the Sports Festival for the girls' team. He recalled the girl was a great player and was even asked to join the school's team. However, she declined the offer as she told everyone she was busy with dance. Yugi could always see her eyes light up with joy whenever she talked about her true passion.

The faded white ball went up. The girls did their best to hit the ball to each other and spike it over the net. As the boys watched the game, Yugi never noticed how ferocious women could be. The ones who already participated in sport teams seemed to have no problems. The girls who were a little challenged appeared a tad passive. Yugi wondered if girls had some of the same troubles boys did when it came to sports. After the game, the three boys went to congratulate their female member on her excellent work.

"Wow, Tea! You were so amazing!" Yugi praised.

"Thanks," Tea winked. "Although I'm not too good at basketball or softball."

"Still, the was pretty impressive." Tristan commented.

At that moment, the group saw Joey running from one end of the gym to the other. He was attempting to dodge the numerous white balls thrown at him from both of the girls' teams.

"What just happened?" Tea asked confused.

"Probably the usual." Tristan sighed as he knew his long time friend's routine very well. He decided to leave the subject alone by saying, "Come on, Yugi, we got track next."

"Oh, that's right!" Yugi said.

"I'll be over there in a few minutes to cheer you both on." Tea smiled.

The two boys turned around and gave a thumbs up.

xxx

"All right, you brats," began one of the teachers. "There is no way we're going to lose to the other team! So I want to be sure you all give one-hundred-and-ten percent!"

Yugi stared at the ground. The three of them and a teacher were placed on the same team. However, their instructor did not agree with losing. The man was not a villain, but he had a score to settle with the other professors who were running as well. Joey and Tristan couldn't help but grin as they had a better relationship with that particular instructor.

"Just make sure _you _don't do anything stupid!" Joey boldly told the teacher.

"Same to you!"

The man walked away, and the two males snicker.

"What do you think he bet on this one?" Tristan asked his blonde friend.

"Probably something fancy! Like a buffet treat at a delicious restaurant!" Joey replied.

The two of them laughed but changed their facial expressions when they saw how worried their petite companion was.

"Don't sweat it Yug!" Joey tried to comfort as he slapped his friend on the back. "For this one, don't take it so personal if we lose!"

"What, are you saying you _want _to lose just to mess with him?" Tristan asked as he crossed his arms.

"Maybe." Joey answered with a grin.

The two of them walked to their spots as other students gathered around.

Yugi stood at his position. His heart raced uncontrollably. Although he didn't want to do this, he knew he had to. Even though his friends were not as worried, he was bothered by another thought: This was the part where he let his team down the previous year.

"_All I have to do is do my best and run_."

He tried to encourage himself as he squeezed the baton he had been handed. He glanced at his two friends. They gave a thumbs up and had huge grins on their faces. He smiled back.

All other teams were ready to start. The whistle blew, and the boys took off. Yugi sprinted down the path. He pushed himself hard to not be left behind. He wanted to run in the opposite direction, but he forced himself to stay on track. He saw he was not too far behind. He could see his portion was almost over, so he pushed himself to sprint even more. He quickly passed the baton to Tristan.

The teen with brown hair quickly passed by many other runners. With ease, Tristan handed the stick over to Joey. The blonde took off fast. He and three other students were in the lead. Joey passed the stick over towards their anchor.

The three instructors ran off. Each of them wanted to beat the other. The one who was on Yugi's team was in second place. He did not want to lose to his rival, who was only a few steps in front of him.

"You ain't gonna win that barbeque this year!" the man yelled.

"Yes I am!" the other one answered.

The instructor was steamed at this. He quickened his paced but tossed himself into the path of the other one. The two of them hit the ribbon at the same time.

"What just happened?" one of the students asked.

"Who knows?" replied another.

"Who won?" questioned someone else.

Joey and Tristan raced back to their small friend. They smiled as they cheered on their companion for doing so well. They also couldn't help but be amused with how their teachers had acted over a bet for something as simple as food.

"So what do we have next?" Joey asked as he and everyone strolled off of the track field.

"Um… looks like we get to have lunch then, that activity where we throw the balls into a hoop, then soccer." Tristan answered.

"All right!" Joey cheered.

The three of them went their separate ways to get their lunches. Yugi went to his locker and reached for a brown paper bag. He went to his homeroom and waited there for everyone. He hadn't opened his lunch and was unsure if he could hold down the food. He was too excited and nervous about his activities. His friends had said he had done well so far, but he wondered if they were just being polite.

Joey and Tristan entered their room and happily ate their lunches while chatting about the events. Yugi listened and nodded.

"I can't believe we're almost done for the day!" Joey exclaimed with pride.

"It sure has been a blast so far!" Tristan added.

The two noticed their friend had yet to say anything. They observed the smallest of them hadn't even opened his lunch. The glanced at each other and understood their companion's struggle.

Joey wanted to help ease his friend by saying, "Hey, Yug, why don't we play a quick game of Duel Monsters!"

"I… I don't know." Yugi replied.

"It'll be fine!" Joey tried to persuade. "We got time for you going against me and Tristan."

"What!" the two boys yelled.

"What?" Joey asked. "Come on! I'll just sit back and coach Tristan here!"

"You're crazy, man." Tristan sighed but agreed. He wanted to be there for his small companion as well.

Yugi thought about his option. Duel Monsters was always his favorite to play whenever something cluttered his mind. He figured a quick game would help ease himself. He smiled and agreed.

The two boys took out their decks and began to play. Yugi found himself smiling and laughing once more. Joey grinned as well for he, too, always appreciated the challenge. When the game was over, the outcome was obvious.

"You're a _terrible _coach." Tristan mumbled as his life points hit zero.

"Am not!" Joey argued.

Yugi laughed once more and observed he was relaxed. His two friends had not given up on him, and he should continue on with pushing himself. He opened his lunch bag and began to eat. The three of them continued to talk when their instructor from the track event came in.

"What's up?" Joey asked.

"Err… just wanted to say you all did well out there," the man explained with an embarrass look on his face.

"Great," the blonde said. "Now say it like you mean it."

"What!" the instructor yelled.

"Come on," Tristan said. "We all know you just want to receive that fancy barbeque."

"Fine, yes, I do," the man agreed. He then yelled, "Both you and Wheeler were terrible today!"

"We were not!" Joey defended. "You're just mad cuz you lost!"

"Yeah, talk about poor sportsmanship." Tristan added sarcastically.

"Blah blah blah, that's all I hear," the instructor said. He walked towards the door but turned around and said, "But, Moto, at least _you _did well."

The man then left.

Yugi wasn't sure what to say. He had been given a compliment by one of his toughest instructors.

The other two teens looked at each other then laughed.

"He's right," the blonde agreed.

"Now let's get ready for our next event." Tristan said.

Yugi nodded, prepared to face his next challenges with pride. He decided to not run away or back down.

The three of them left their classroom and walked down the hall. They came outside and stood in front of a large pole with a basket on top. Yugi clinched his fists together tightly, ready to try and do his goal of shooting at least three balls into the basket.

One of the students carried around a tub filled with colorful, small balls. Each student took a few and waited for the game to begin. When the whistle blew, everyone did their best to throw the object from their hand.

Yugi did his best. Although he was frustrated at first, he was not willing to give up. He was ecstatic when he finally shot one in. He wanted to capture his friends' attention but decided to keep trying. Time was almost out. The small teen had one last chance. He took his last ball and threw it. He was surprised he made it in time.

He smiled to himself, "_Even though I didn't reach my goal, I'm glad I was able to make at least two baskets_."

"You did really well," called a voice. Yugi turned to see his two other friends, Duke Devlin and Ryou Bakura.

"Thanks guys," Yugi smiled.

"Hey! Where did you both get those juice boxes?" Joey asked, wanting one.

"Our instructor gave us these," the teen with white hair answered with a smile.

"Why do you both get the kind instructor?" Tristan asked.

"Because we're special." Duke answered.

"Yeah, they've got the special part right." Joey snickered.

"Watch it," Duke warned.

"So how's today going for you both?" Yugi asked as he changed the subject.

"Quite well, actually," the teen with black hair and green eyes replied. "Especially since I still have my personal cheer squad."

"That ain't fair!" Joey protested.

"What about you, Ryou?" Yugi asked.

"I'll just be glad when this is all over." Ryou chuckled.

Yugi smiled and encouraged, "Just do your best and everything will be fine."

"Yeah, you're right," the adolescent agreed.

The last event for Yugi's team was soccer. Everyone departed in order to prepare. Yugi stood in between two goal posts and had a pair of black gloves on. He was ready to play his role as goalie and prevent the other team from scoring.

The game started, and like before, Yugi's heart was beating quickly with anticipation. Joey and Tristan played their parts very well. They managed to keep the ball on the other end of the field. Both members were even capable of earning a few goals. Yugi had kept his job by not allowing the other team to score. Although he tried, a few times occurred were the ball would bypass him and enter through the net. He told himself to be strong and continue on with the game.

Both teams did their best to not lose. As time went on, more and more people gathered to see the event. Many people already knew how hard Joey and Tristan played, but nearly everyone was surprise seeing the petite teen actually performing his job well. Staff and students in the stands cheered on.

The clock was ticking, and the score was still tied. Yugi told himself to keep everything together despite the outside being engulfed through the rush of adrenaline. He reflected for a moment. He did not wish to let his team down. He was participating in the game for his friends and not for fear. He heard someone call his name. The tone sounded like a warning.

A tall athletic student had maneuvered his way past Yugi's team. The black and white object was coming fast. With one powerful kick, the ball flew across a patch of grass at a quickened pace. It was coming straight for Yugi!

The teen remained firm. He had no desire to run away. He braced himself as the projectile aimed straight for his abdominal area. The goalie held onto the ball but the momentum caused it to rush through and knocked him to the floor.

A whistle blew.

The game was declared a tie!

Members of both teams cheered. Everyone was glad they stuck around to see an interesting game. To decide a winner, another game would be played after a fifteen minute break.

"What a game!" Tristan cheered.

"A great challenge!" Joey agreed. "What did you think Yu-"

He cut himself off when he saw a soccer ball between the goal posts, but their goalie was nowhere to be found. The blonde searched the stands to find his teammate, but no one with tri-color hair was among the fans. Suddenly, he saw a small figure behind a tree and a bush not too far from the field.

"Hey! Yug!" Joey called. He raced towards his friend. He stopped when he saw the boy was on his knees with his back away from everyone.

"Yugi, what's wrong?" the teen asked. He knew what the problem was. He could hear the sound of someone vomiting enter his ears. He knelt down and patted his friend on his back. Moments ago he saw with his own eyes the speed of the ball and how his buddy was brave enough to stand by his word and not run away. He understood the force the ball had made an impact with the other teen's stomach, causing it to become upset.

"You did great." Joey said with a grin. "Now let's go to the nurse."

"But… what about the game?" Yugi asked when he was finished.

"Don't worry about it," his friend tried to assure. "We play again in a few minutes. I just wanna make sure nothing else happens, ok?"

The small teen nodded; he did not wish to miss out on any more fun with his friends.

Xxx

The adolescent was checked out to be fine. He was advised to stay in the office and cool off. Yugi had wanted to protest by saying he was well but nearly lost his balance after he stood up too quickly. Even though he had been training for nearly a month, his body was still not accustomed to enduring such a rush with vigorous, physical activities, especially in the hot sun. Joey caught his friend and had the boy take a seat.

"Everything's going to be all right, man." the blonde tried to sooth. "You did your best, you didn't run away, and you stood your ground. You played hard and were hard for the other players to beat you. Now it's time to relax."

"Ok." Yugi reluctantly agreed. His heart leaped with joy hearing those words from a friend. He reflected about the day he had. He and his companions all stood by and managed to have a great time.

The pair stayed in the same room. They chatted a bit and took small sips of water. Other students came by but fortunately nothing too serious occurred. Joey and Yugi turned surprise seeing Tristan not only enter the room but he had the gold, upside down pyramid with him as well.

"My Puzzle!" Yugi exclaimed with joy.

"Yeah, I saw you and Joey walking over towards the nurse's office." Tristan explained. "Thought you may want this by your side."

"Thanks," said the petite teen.

"No prob," the brunette grinned. "That was some hit you took!"

/Hit? What is he talking about?/ the spirit of the Puzzle asked with concern. /Was there a fight!?/

/Oh, no,/ the teen tried to assure his darker half. /I was the goalie, and I caught the ball that was coming straight at me!/

/Really? Nice work, Yugi./ Yami praised. /Are you feeling all right?/

/Yeah./ Yugi answered. /I threw up a little, but I'll be fine./

"Do you know how the game finished?" Joey asked his male friend with brunette hair.

"We won!" Tristan exclaimed with a huge grin.

"Really!" both Yugi and Joey shouted.

"Good thing we had other replacements; Joey would had screwed us over." Tristan mocked with a smile.

"What! I would have not!" Joey argued.

At that moment, the group's female companion entered the room.

"Here you all are," she greeted with a smile. She walked up to her small friend and asked, "You ok?"

"Yeah," the small teen answered with a smile.

The group gathered their belongings and headed towards the main field. The principal gave a closing speech, and the students were dismissed. The crowds cheered with joy the whole event was over.

"Let's go out and celebrate!" Joey declared as he and everyone left the school grounds.

"Yeah!" everyone agreed.

The group went over towards Burger World. They filled their stomachs with calories from which they recently lost. Yugi shoved his food down his throat. He was nearly starving towards the end. He felt a bit light headed earlier but was better now.

He placed down his drink as he thought about the day he had. All his training really had paid off. He glanced around his friends. He smiled as he was happy he didn't have to do everything alone.

Everyone gathered their stuff and decided to move the after party back at the game shop. They all took a seat and just wanted to relax a bit. Everyone was still excited about the day they had.

"You all have a good time?" Solomon asked in a very good mood.

"You bet we did!" Joey declared.

Yugi nodded.

The old man recalled the previous year how the boy just went straight to his room, not speaking to anyone. He smiled when he saw how relaxed his grandson was.

The excited blonde stood up and explained the games to everyone. The group laughed and was relieved once more the event was over. Yugi stared down at his cup of water.

When the event ended in past years, he went to his room alone. The year with the horrific bully event he had stayed away from his family and cried himself to sleep. A small smile grew across his face as he was glad to have people over. He had to admit he had a great time doing what he normally dreaded.

"_Maybe I was able to enjoy myself since I didn't go at it alone this year_."

Everyone departed for night. Yugi had told his family he already eaten dinner and was tired from a long day.

"Wait, Yugi," said the teen's grandfather. "There's someone here who would like to ask you something."

The young adult took a seat back on the couch as his grandfather left the room. He closed his tired eyes and waited patiently. He wondered who it was that wanted to speak with him. He prayed it wasn't anyone evil as he was already physically exhausted and may not be able to handle a Shadow Game.

"Yugi," called out a soft, friendly voice. "It's been awhile."

The adolescent flashed his eyes opened upon the words entering his ears. His heart raced as he looked up. Standing a few feet in front of him stood his dad. The man wore a black jack and had on a fedora. He had a genuine smile on his face.

"Dad!" Yugi nearly screamed. He found some new energy and ran over to his father and hugged the man.

"I missed you so much!" he cried.

"I know," Izumi laughed. "And I've missed you to."

The father took his son and sat them both on the couch. Yugi was really excited to see his father once more. He had so much to tell him but didn't know where start. Izumi wanted to listen but decided to catch up with his son by proposing a question to him.

"I know this may be sudden," he began. He stood up and asked his son directly, "How would you like to go on the trip with me?"

"What!?" Yugi asked his father.

**To be continued…**

Chao- Done with the School Festival and onto the actual plot!


	7. Journey with the Clumsy Man

Chao- Wanted Yugi to have a father who was more of a scatter brain than the cliché, abusive man.

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

/Yami and Yugi's mind link./

**Chapter 7:** **Journey with the Clumsy Man**

Yugi placed one hand on his head. He couldn't believe what was happening to him. He managed to have a great time at the Sports Festival for school, he was able to see his father once more, and now he was being requested to go with his parent on a trip.

"What do you say, Yugi?" Izumi asked his son. "It'll give us some time to catch up."

The small adolescent was lost for words. He had a strong desire to go with his father, but he also was aware how his mother felt about her ex-husband. He knew he would need a way to persuade her to let him go. "Well… I…"

"No!" screamed a voice. All three men in the Moto family turned to see a woman with short maroon hair entered the room with her arms crossed over her chest. She appeared absolutely furious.

"Mitsuki!" Izumi gasped. He tried to smile as he rubbed the back of his head as he attempted to greet his ex-wife. "Um… long time no see?"

The woman immediately marched across the room and took a seat on the same couch as Yugi. She grabbed her son and pulled him closer to her.

The teen was confused about the action. Quickly, he glanced between the adults.

"You're not taking my baby away from me!" Mitsuki ordered sternly with fury in her brown eyes.

"Mom!" Yugi protested.

"Hey! He's my baby, too!" Izumi argued lightly.

"Dad!" Yugi called out to his father. His face turned red. Moments ago he felt like a hero for facing a challenge he did not wish to enter. Now he was being treated like a child by his parents.

"He wouldn't survive five minutes with you!" Mitsuki yelled.

"Well, he's alive even after I took care of him when he was younger! Doesn't that count for anything?" Izumi brought up with a small laugh.

"No!"

"Aw….."

"And for what reason would you want to kidnap my baby?"

"Kidnap? No! It's nothing like that!"

"You just come in here as you please, and you suddenly want to take my baby away?"

"Come on, Mitsuki, I haven't seen our baby for quite some time!"

"He's not yours! And whose fault is that!"

Izumi became quiet. His cheerful smile dwindled but carried an apologetic sentiment.

Everyone else was taken aback by the sudden change in atmosphere.

Looking into his father's caring eyes, Yugi could see how sorry the man was. He glanced over at his mother. The woman still appeared angry, but she was also a tad calmer than usual. She seemed she was waiting for a sincere reply rather than a witty remark.

"It's mine," the man finally admitted. He took a seat on a couch opposite of his son in defeat.

The rest of the Moto family waited to hear what he had to say.

The father took a sigh, looked over at his offspring, and said, "I'm sorry, Yugi. I honestly wanted to be around more. But after all my changes in jobs, I just couldn't."

He adjusted his view to his ex-wife and said with a tiny smile, "I finally managed to maintain a job though. I still somehow was able to keep my job with Zuri."

"What!?" Mitsuki asked stunned.

"That is some record." Solomon lightly added. He was aware of all the job loses Izumi endured for years while being married to Mitsuki. Glad his ex-son-in-law was able to keep his work, he hoped the man would be able to take Yugi with him.

"The other reason why I wanted to bring Yugi along is because my boss has been eager to meet him." Izumi explained with remorse in his tone. "I figured if I brought our son along I would have a better chance of keeping my job in case I screw up."

Mitsuki crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and spat, "Yes, because that _is _most likely going to happen."

"No need to be so harsh." Izumi mumbled.

Yugi allowed everything to sink in. He really wanted to go with his father; he hadn't seen him before the end of middle school and was anxious to tell him all that had happened. He also did not want his father to take a chance and lose the job. He stood up and boldly asked, "Mom, please let me go with Dad."

The family fell silent.

The woman opened her eyes and looked at her son.

The boy was tired from his long day but still wanted to try and convince his mother. He really wanted to go with his father.

"Please, Mom," Yugi requested once more. "I haven't seen Dad in a while, and I don't know how long it'll be before I'll be able to see him again."

Mitsuki glanced at the floor. Her son took a seat next to her and as he continued to try and persuade her, "I promise to be careful. I can call when we make it to where ever Dad needs to go, and I'll be sure to behave."

"And what will you do if you get into trouble?" Mitsuki inquired with a small smile.

"Not ask Dad for help." Yugi replied, understanding the small joke between himself and his mother.

"Go upstairs and get ready for bed." the woman told her son. "I know you had a long day already. I'll speak to you in the morning."

The adolescent nodded. As he walked upstairs, he held onto the rail for support. He went towards his room and shut the door.

Instead of heading straight to sleep like he originally planned, he went to his closet and took out a suitcase. He placed the baggage on his mattress and started to put in clothes and games. He was unsure of how long the trip would be, so he packed a few days' worth of materials and supplies.

/Yugi, what are you doing?/ Yami asked as he finally came out of the Puzzle.

/Packing./ Yugi answered bluntly with innocence.

/Well I can see that,/ the spirit smiled. /Do you honestly believe your mother will grant you permission to join your father?/

/… I'm not sure…/ the teen admitted with hesitation as he paused. He resumed his action when he figured, /But I did promise her I would be careful. Once she sees I'm already packed and ready to leave, she'll have to let me go!/

Yami couldn't help but chuckle a bit. He was glad his partner was content with how today went as well as meeting up with his father. As he began to think, his smile faded. Yugi did well on his own with school and asking his mother to go on a trip. The boy did not look down at the Puzzle for any encouragement nor pleaded for any advice. Yami glanced over at the suitcase and noticed all the objects placed within.

/You do plan to take the Puzzle, right?/ he asked with a little shyness in his tone.

Yugi turned and faced his darker half. He was confused why the spirit would even ask such a questioned. He answered truthfully, /Of course I am, why wouldn't I?/

Yami smiled when he was included on the trip. He had wondered what Yugi's father was like and caught a preview in the evening. Now he had a chance to see how the man would behave around his son. He had high hopes for his partner to enjoy the travel. He advised softly, /You should go to bed now. You've had a long day today and will have a long day tomorrow./

Yugi nodded. He was pleased his yami had anticipation for him to leave. He closed his bag and placed it beside his door. He was content his belongings were not as heavy as they use to be.

Stepping into bed, he pulled the covers over him. Listening closely, he tried to hear any bits of conversation between his mother and father.

His grin diminished hearing only silence downstairs. He grew worried. He prayed his mother hadn't kicked out his father. He shut his eyes and thought sadly, "_I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye_…"

Yami noticed how troubled his friend became. He walked towards the bed and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. He tried to comfort his companion by saying, /Perhaps he just went out for a bit or is sleeping in a motel./

Yugi sighed and nodded. He heard his darker half say, /Go ahead and try to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning./

The small adolescent smiled. He repositioned himself on his mattress and was able to fall asleep easily.

The next morning Yugi awoke with a little soreness throughout his entire form. After the adventure he had the previous day, his whole body felt he had been struck by a truck. With his muscles aching and his limbs feeling like jelly, he moaned a little as he tried to sit up. He yawned as he stretched. He rubbed his eyes and couldn't help but grin a bit despite experiencing small amounts of strain.

/Had a nice sleep last night?/ Yami asked, relieved to see his partner did not endure anymore nightmares.

/Yeah./ Yugi replied.

/What are you grinning about?/

/Oh, just my dream last night./

/What happened?/

Yugi stepped out of bed as he answered, /I had this dream where all these Duel Monsters were in the Sports Festival!/

He couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Yami chuckled a little at the thought as well. The monsters were design for fierce battle, not running around playing sports. The notion of Dark Magician participating in soccer and Dark Magician Girl playing volleyball appeared ridiculous.

Yugi glanced at his door and saw his suitcase. He became serious remembering what his mission for the day was. He would go downstairs and persuade his mother to allow him to go on a trip with his father. He vowed he would continue on with his potency until he was granted permission.

He boldly strolled over to his door but stopped in front. Pulling his hand up towards the door and holding it in front of the knob, his hand began to shake. He was nervous. He wanted to so much to travel with his dad but was worried about his mom.

/You can do this./ Yami encouraged.

Yugi turned to see his partner leaning against his desk. The spirit had on a smile of inspiration. The adolescent nodded. He picked up his suitcase and took a deep breath. He gathered his strength and exited his room.

After heading downstairs, he entered the kitchen. His mother and grandfather were already up. Glancing at the table, he saw his breakfast was already made for him. Placing down his bag, he heard his grandpa chuckling a bit. He took a seat and quietly ate his food. He noticed he had some pills placed down by his plate. He figured his mother left them so he could take them and not feel so sore.

He popped them into his mouth and washed them down with a glass of milk. He played a bit with his leftovers. He wanted to go with his plan, but he didn't know how to start the conversation. He became a tad startle hearing, "Oh, I see you've already packed."

Looking up, Yugi knew his mother had seen his suitcase. He glanced away as he replied with a fake, cheerful tone, "Yep, I'm all packed and ready to go."

"It's such a shame," she mentioned as she went back to working with her own food.

Yugi couldn't help but feel his heart sank. He feared his mother had already kicked out his father and won't have another chance to see him for a while.

He grew astonished hearing, "Since your father won't be back until noon."

His eyes widened. He looked at his grandfather, who nodded. Quickly scooting out of his seat, he raced to his mother. With his arms he gave her a tight hug. The woman expected the reaction but not the strength.

"Don't give your mother any bruises," she remarked with a smile.

"Oh, sorry, Mom." Yugi took away his hold and looked elsewhere.

She cleared her throat as she said, "Your father had promised to behave on the trip. But we all know we can't trust his word. So do look after him."

"Of course, Mom." Yugi promised.

"You should take a shower before you leave." she advised as she went back to the stove.

"I will!" Yugi announced as he rushed upstairs. "Thanks, Mom!"

He busted through the door and raced over towards his dresser.

The spirit became startled upon the grand entrance. He saw how lit up the boy's eyes were and how his smile was wider than ever. He could only assume his partner was finally granted permission.

"_Nice work, Yugi_." he praised.

The young adult went and took a shower. Even though his body was still tried from the day before, his spirit was fully awake with joy. He combed his hair and brushed his teeth with excitement. He then went about and took some hygiene supplies into a small bag.

He dashed to his room to gather some other things. In his rush he managed to remember he had something else to do. Racing over to where the family's computer was located, he turned it on and immediately logged on to a social network. After reading everyone's update, mainly about the big day that occurred yesterday, he typed up where he would be for the next few days.

When finish and turning off the computer, he strolled over to his room. He placed on his Puzzle with bliss. He couldn't help but smile. He was too excited! He knew his other half was happy for him as well.

He went downstairs and waited in the den of the house. His mother made sure he had everything with him. She didn't want to take any chances of losing her son. Solomon couldn't help but chuckle a bit seeing his daughter mixing between happiness and a bit of rage. Every time the rollercoaster of emotions took place, Yugi would assure and reassure he would be all right. Mitsuki settled down as she trusted her child's word.

Soon, it was time for Yugi to leave. He and everyone went outside when they heard Izumi rolling in. The teen placed his belongings into the trunk of the car with ease. Walking over to the front of the vehicle, he paused for a bit seeing his parents talking. His father appeared to be apologizing for something while his mother positioned her arms crossed over her chest. However, a different emotion was set into her eyes. Yugi couldn't figure out what it was.

He hugged his mother and grandfather, insisting he would be fine. Once everything was put into place, the father and son set out on their trip. They had been driving for a few minutes in silence. There was so much to be spoken about, but it finding a place to start was difficult.

/Yugi, say something./ Yami tried to encourage from within.

/What am I supposed to say?/ Yugi questioned.

/Well, tell him about what you have been up to./ the spirit suggested.

/Right, tell him while he was working I was saving the world with all my friends against an evil magic by playing Duel Monsters./ Yugi pouted.

Yami laughed a bit, /Perhaps you can leave the Shadows out of this. Maybe you can start by saying how you met with your friends?/

"Sure, start off with me saying I was being bullied into money when I blanked out." Yugi grumbled.

"What was that?" Yugi's father questioned.

"Oh, um… N-Nothing." Yugi tried to cover up he had been talking to someone who lived within him. He didn't need to tell everything to his father. He tried his best but became little flustered upon hearing his other self laughing.

"So, Yugi," Izumi began casually. "I heard from your grandpa that you had been practicing for that Sports Competition. How did that go?"

"It was awesome!" Yugi answered earnestly. "I was really nervous at first, but then my friends all helped me out!"

"Really? Nice bunch of guys?"

"Well, yeah, I mean some of them could be a little… rough, but I like hanging out with them."

"What about Tea? Are you still friends with her? I haven't seen her in ages!"

"Yes, I am."

"And what about that necklace you have? I see you wearing it in all your photos of you when you were announced the winner of Battle City that I keep in my office."

"D-Dad!"

"What? Can't a father be proud of his son?"

"Well… I…"

"So tell me about that pedant then."

"It came in a gold box… the one with the mysterious eye on it."

"Huh? Is that the one your grandpa gave you?"

"Yes, it came from Egypt."

"Egypt, eh? So, shouldn't it be cursed or something?"

"Dad, that's only in the movies."

"You don't have some sort of mummy after you, do you?"

"Dad…"

"After all, I heard the game Duel Monsters came from there as well. Or, at least inspired from there or something."

"Dad, you know about Duel Monsters?"

"Heh, just a little."

Yugi glanced at his treasure. The artifact took him eight years to solve. He made a wish to have friends. He was able to meet the spirit who dwelled within. Together, they had many battles between them and corrupted souls. The teen shivered a bit at the idea of what would happen if he and his companion were to lose.

Izumi noticed how uneasy his son became. He knew some parts of the bonding would be rough; his offspring had often been a little shy. He may be unaware of most of the events the adolescent underwent, but he wanted to be there. He tenderly placed one hand on the boy's shoulder.

Yugi looked up and saw his father smiling. He smiled a bit in return. He turned his attention to the front. His eyes widened.

"Uh, Dad." he began uncomfortable.

"Yes, Yugi?" Izumi asked, hoping for some connection to return.

"RED LIGHT!" Yugi shrieked.

"…Huh?" was the confused reply.

Xxx

The father and son made it to the motel alive. After checking in and arriving at their room, the teen placed himself face down on the mattress. He recalled in his mind all the trouble the man had while driving a simple vehicle. There were instances where the brakes nearly failed as well as the man taking dangerous turns after making so many wrong ones. Yugi was happy he was still living.

His father laughed as he remarked, "I can imagine how tired the trip made you. Lie down for a bit while I check in with my boss and everyone."

When the man left, Yugi tried his best to pull himself up. Yami watched his partner as he flipped himself closer to the phone on the nightstand between the two beds. He dialed a few buttons and waited patiently for the other line to pick up.

"Mom?" Yugi said to the opposite end. "I'm calling to let you know we made it here all right…. Yes, Dad and I are still alive. No. No, nothing happened, really…. Ok, I'll call you back later. Bye, Mom."

Yugi hung up the phone and lied back onto the bed.

/Well, your father seems like an… interesting person./ Yami tried to politely make his comments about his partner's creator.

Yugi grinned a bit as he replied, /At least we are still alive./

/It's no wonder your mother was worried about you./ the spirit laughed, now understanding some of emotional anxiety.

/Yeah, but Dad is trying at least./ the adolescent responded.

The last line struck his heart. He knew his father was only doing his best, just like he was when the Sports Festival was approaching. He was glad they had a conversation in the car with ease. He was so happy when the man he cared about always took in an interest in what he had to say. Deep within, he had truly missed his father, even some of the man's foolish antics.

He missed how Izumi would often confuse the sugar and salt whenever he tried to make something in apology to his wife. He missed how he and his parent tried to water the garden only for the hose to splash water everywhere. A part of him longed for the days where the two would take walks with each other or played a board game even after the man had a long day.

Yugi turned his head when he heard his father entering. The man had one hand in his pocket as he smiled nervously. He was very sorry about his crazy habits he had while driving. Rubbing one hand behind his head, he asked casually, "So, did you want to take a walk around?"

The young adult sat up with interest.

Izumi continued, "I'm going to introduce you tomorrow to my boss and co-workers. I thought this afternoon we would walk around and have dinner at a nice restaurant nearby."

Yugi raised up an eyebrow suspiciously.

Izumi laughed, "Yes, by walk I mean a walk. I promise to _not _take the car."

"Yeah!" Yugi replied enthusiastic. He jumped off from the bed and raced over to his parent with joy. The father and son left the room with a great adventure in mind.

Yami smiled from within the Puzzle. He was very happy for his partner and his dad. He slipped away so the two could enjoy their time together.

**To be continued…**

Chao- Chao did! Chao did! Hooray!

YChao- Yep, you displeased your patient readers with your procrastination, and now you're gonna take another four months before an update is even slightly written out.

Readers- AHEM!

Chao- Eep!

YChao- So when is Zuri going to try and steal the Puzzle and do something horrible to Yugi?

Yugi- What!? Right after I finally get to spend time with my dad, you wanna do something bad to me!?

YChao- You sound surprise.

Yugi- NO!

YChao- Yep, and it looks as though the readers wanna get to that part as well. So, where is the next chapter? I kinda wanna know too.

Chao- Well, uh, you see… Oh look! It's the nonexistent bullies from chapter one!

Readers and Yami- Get them!

Chao- Ok, when you're done beating them up, please leave a review!


	8. A Little Time Together

Chao- Yep, looks like the readers were able to see why Mitsuki was a bit overly protective about Yugi going on a simple car ride.

Yugi- Why did you make my dad clumsy?

Chao- Did you want an abusive one?

Yugi- No.

YChao- Not that it matters, considering how many of those are out there.

Chao- Onwards with the funny man and weird son!

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

/Yami and Yugi's mind link./

**Chapter 8:** **A Little Time Together**

A father and son sat together at a silver and cherry red booth in a cozy restaurant. Yugi blissfully ate away his hamburger while his dad sipped a mug of coffee. Seeing his boy appearing like a child made him grin.

"More coffee, sir?" a young waitress asked.

"Yes, please." Izumi answered in a casual tone.

The lady noticed her glass pot was nearly empty. She commented sheepishly, "I'm sorry, sir. I'll go bring some right away."

"No worries." the man laughed.

When the waitress left, Izumi went back to watching his son. His view was captured when a glimmer flashed off from the gold pendant with the strange eye. He noticed the boy did not remove his necklace at all. Yugi had it on the day before, in his photographs after being announced the winner of tournaments, and even when the two went for a walk around the town.

"So tell me more about the pendant you like to keep around." the father requested. "I remember you told me that it came from Egypt and that you _don't_ have a mummy after you or a cursed set upon you."

"Dad, you have _too much _imagination." Yugi shook his head, like he was the parent while his father was the child.

The man pulled back a bit and remarked with an amused smile, "That's what your mother said, too."

The teen glanced down. An uneasy atmosphere had been unintentionally created. After the divorce between Yugi's folks took place, neither parent mentioned the event so often. The offspring was still able to speak with his dad once in a while, but he never voiced his feelings of missing his old man. He believed that since he was able to spend time with his father, Yugi could start the conversation by talking about an object that meant most to him. He figured the spirit wouldn't mind if he spoke a little about the ancient artifact. If anything, his other half would encourage it.

The young adult held up the Puzzle proudly in his hands. He gently smiled and his eyes grew soft as he began, "It took me eight years to solve this."

"Eight years? That sure is some record for you." Izumi replied as he was aware how well his boy did whenever it came to games or puzzles.

"Yeah, it was really frustrating at first. I often got discouraged and didn't want to finish it… but… Well, I guess my gaming pride wouldn't let me and… I'm really glad I did finish it."

"So, is it a good luck charm?"

"Well, not exactly. But it has brought me a lot of change."

"Change? As in a good way?"

"Yeah… Every time I look at it, I remember all of what I have now."

"But what about the curse!"

"Dad, there is no curse!"

"Ok, ok. But I'm pretty sure your grandfather had mentioned to you something about dark, mystical powers. Sure sounds fishy to me."

"Well, this didn't really come with a curse, but it did come with a wish."

"A wish? What'd you wish for!?"

"Dad! That's a secret!"

"Was it to be the world's best duelist? To win the heart of your childhood friend? To have a high enough grade so your mother wouldn't slap you around with the soup ladle?"

"Dad!"

By now Yugi's face had turned as red as a strawberry.

Izumi couldn't help but laugh at seeing just how adorable his son appeared even while still being an adolescent.

Yugi wondered what he should say next. He was a tad embarrassed about what his clown-like father had mentioned, but he accepted the way his parent had acted, and he knew his dad was only trying to stay connected with him. He smirked as an idea hit him.

"All right, Dad, I'll tell you what my wish was." he stated boldly.

The man became silent, but his pupils flooded with his joy.

Yugi sat back, crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and said, "I'll tell you if we make it back home alive."

Izumi felt he had been slammed by a bolder falling from a tenth story building. His face and upper body banged against the table with a booming sound.

Yugi, however, remained in his same position.

Izumi couldn't help but notice how much his offspring appeared more like Mitsuki. In a shaky voice, he agreed, "Ok."

He pulled out his phone to see he had received an email from his associates. He excused himself to go outside to take his call. His son nodded.

After his father left, Yugi played around with a few of his French fries. He smiled once more sensing his spirit friend had arrived.

/I hope you don't mind about me talking with my dad about the Puzzle./ Yugi brought up as he closed his childlike orbs.

Yami shook his head, /No, it's all right. You should be able to talk with your father about anything. But do you honestly plan to tell your father about your wish? You've kept that issue private for quite some time./

/Yeah, I know./ the teen sighed. /But I would really like to make it back home alive./

/You and me both./

/I heard that some people say their lives flash before their eyes right before they die,/ Yugi brought up. /Do you think the same could happen to you when my dad drives us back?/

/Yugi, we've both survived many trials held within the Shadow Realm, but even I'm uncertain if I am willing to endure _that _sort of risk./ Yami replied with the adolescent laughing.

Yugi's father had returned from his private conversation. He turned confused seeing his son laughing at matter he was unaware of.

Yugi did his best to calm himself down.

Izumi took a seat and placed his credit card on a tray. A waitress came by and took it. While waiting for the plastic money to return, he had needed to inform his son about the future plans.

"Yugi, about what'll take place." he began in a calm tone. "Some of the actual business actions will need to take place a little but further away from here."

His child nodded and Izumi continued, "So, we'll both need to use the car to meet everyone a few streets up north."

Yugi crossed his arms and replied firmly, "Fine, but the deal still stands."

"Ok, ok." Izumi raised his hands as he comprehended his son's antics. Once the tray had been returned, Izumi mentioned to his son, "Well, Yugi, it seems everyone is ready to meet you, including my boss!"

"Then let's get going." Yugi nodded once more. His heart raced a bit hearing he needed to meet several of his father's colleagues, but he wanted to be there for his dad.

As the two navigated their way around the tables, booths, and workers, a slight accident had occurred. A young lady carrying many trays had slipped. Many plates and bowels were headed for the male Moto members.

"Yugi!" Izumi cried out. He quickly pushed his son out of the way. He dropped to his knees and managed to catch nearly everything that had been accidentally tossed into the air.

Yugi laughed, but the spirit within the Puzzle widened his eyes. He hadn't seen any sort of performance like the one his partner's father had just put on display.

Just then, a case of hot coffee landed on the man. Izumi cried out as the boiling, caffeinated water hit his skin.

"I'm so sorry sir!" apologized the waitress.

Yugi raced over but couldn't contain his amusement, "Dad! Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Izumi laughed. "Stuff like this happens to me all the time! You know that!"

Yugi sighed as he knew the truth behind the statement. He couldn't help but giggle thinking about the times his parent would spill food but became an acrobat and catch everything. The adolescent had always seen the act as some sort of magical talent while his mother viewed it as a miracle anything was able to survive.

Just then, the manager rushed over to check in on his costumers. He stammered towards Izumi, "Is everything all right? I'm so sorry for this incident!"

"No, no! Everything's fine!" Yugi's father tried to assure. He stood up and continued to hold on to the tray with all the food perfectly in place.

"Please forgive me!" begged the waitress as she bowed. "I'm not so graceful!"

"It's ok!" Izumi insisted. The young female adult glanced up to see a pair of caring eyes. The man explained, "I know how hard it is to work with so many people and plates. I've been in the restaurant business before. Don't give up."

"Thank you." the lady smiled with gratitude.

The father and son exited the restaurant. Yugi's admiration and Yami's respect for the man grew. Izumi continued to ask questions about what had been occurring in his son's life. When the subject of Mitsuki came around, the teen could only mentioned the name calling, to which Izumi fully expected and accepted.

The two went back to the motel to freshen up. Izumi explained to the boy they would both be meeting everyone downstairs in the lobby. Once everything had been set, the pair went back to the main entrance. Everyone Izumi had worked with was thrilled when they finally met the King of Games. Yugi smiled, but he blushed as well. His heart pounded with anticipation. He may not have liked to be sociable around older strangers, but like with the Sports Festival he was willing to place aside his feelings for the greater good of someone he cared for.

Just then, the talk among others lowered but was filled with excitement. Everyone parted like a sea. Izumi and Yugi turned to see a man with black, shoulder length hair wearing a green suit. His eyes appeared as cold as metal, but his smile was quite charismatic.

"Zuri!" Izumi called out with glee. He reached for his child by the boy's shoulder and smiled, "This is my son, Yugi."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Yugi." Zuri stated.

Yami came out of the Puzzle when he felt something out of place. He eyed the man in charge carefully.

The adolescent held up his hand and shook with his father's boss. He smiled his usual smile.

"I heard you won both Duelist Kingdom and Battle City. That sure is quite an accomplishment." the man with cold pupils praised.

Yugi nodded a bit timidly but managed to reply, "Y-yes, I did. Th-thank you."

The tall man glanced down at the gold pendant.

"I've played the game a few times around." Zuri continued with his easy talk. "Perhaps we could have a match sometime before we depart."

The adolescent could only laugh as his heart rate skyrocketed. He wanted to be sure he placed a good impression for his father. He did his best to join in with the conversations between his father and the man's boss.

The spirit of the Puzzle watched for a bit. He had a strange, familiar set within him. He carefully hid himself, so even his partner wouldn't be able to pick him up. He observed the man named Zuri. He paid close attention to the eyes.

"Well, thank you for your time, King of Games." Zuri stated with casualty.

Yugi replied, "Thank you for allowing me to come on this trip with my father."

The boss turned a bit and said, "Think nothing of it."

As he walked away, almost all the employees went on their separate paths.

Yugi let out a sigh of relief; he was very glad the whole event was over. He followed his father back to their room. When the two entered, Yugi plot himself on the large mattress with the decorative heavy comforters, causing the bed to shake a bit. He was very content with the way the day had gone.

"Well, Yugi, since I'm going to be out a little bit longer for work, why don't you just go ahead and stay in the room." Izumi suggested as he strolled closer to his child. "I know you still must be tired after a long day from that Sports Festival."

The teen nodded, "Yeah, I kinda am."

His grin widen announcing, "I managed to make at least two baskets this year."

"That's great to hear." the father praised his son as he ruffled Yugi's hair. "I'll see you in the morning."

With that, the man walked out of the room.

The teen went over to the bathroom to prepare himself for a restful night. He had taken a shower and brushed his teeth. When finished, he climbed into bed and shut his tired orbs. He fell asleep in an instant, but his blissful smile remained on his face.

The spirit of the Puzzle emerged once more. He watched over his sleeping partner carefully. He then glanced out the window. Something didn't feel right.

Yami shuddered. The bitter eyes in his memory struck aversion in him. He had known the emotion that lied within the one named Zuri far too well. From years of experience, he knew at once that the man in charge held nothing but selfish intentions in his heart. He wondered what the man had planned and how far into the idea Yugi's father may be in.

He looked back at his partner. The boy was smiling even as he rested. His eyes had sparkled with laughter during the day. The pharaoh couldn't bear to tear his light away from something that made him so happy.

He quickly vanished into the Puzzle before his troubled emotions could reach his friend. As he entered his Soul Room, he walked to think among his many corridors and stairways. Before he could mention anything to Yugi, he would first need to dig up proof. He didn't want to worry his other half over something that may be nothing.

**To be continued…**

Chao- Heh, looks as though things will now shift the more dramatic climax.

YChao- Yep, and yet you wasted most of the beginning with the Sports Festival.

Chao- Yeah, could have been separated, but it all ties in after what Chao had placed in.


	9. Too Much Evidence

Chao- Chao feels a bit of guilt for leaving some published stories for others that are within progress but have not been published. So, at least Chao will now have a goal to NOT leave a story incomplete. Hopefully all stories can be finished within a year they have been published. Normally Chao encourages for writers to put aside fan fiction for real life fun, but since Chao has no life, it really isn't fair for the readers who took the time to read this.

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

/Yami and Yugi's mind link./

**Chapter 9: Too Much Evidence**

With light shining through the cracks of the deep red curtains, Yugi awoke with plenty of energy the next day in the early morning. He glanced over the opposite mattress from him. He couldn't help but grin seeing his father still snoozing away. He remembered when he was younger he would always be up before his dad and had to wake the latter up. He read the dark gray clock with green digital numbers. Because work needed to be done for his father's company, the teen decided to go into the bathroom to take a shower and begin his routine first, so his father could use as much time as he needed. When he was done, he entered back into the bedroom and saw his dad had yet to wake up.

Since the man had said he needed to work and the adolescent was unsure as to what time Izumi had returned, Yugi understood the reason why his dad was still asleep. Lucky for him, he wasn't burdened with the worry about his father returning drunk. The man was already crazy enough, and he never cared much for the taste found in alcoholic beverages. Beer and wine were never in his appetite. Carefully, the boy strolled over towards the bed to wake up his tired parent.

"Dad, time to get up." Yugi called with an easy smile.

Izumi pulled over the covers and whined, "No, Mr. Zebra, I don't want to go to school in the sky. I didn't do that one hundred paged paper about the history of the army of the flying chicken fingers."

Hearing his father mumbling, the teen couldn't help but giggle. He felt like an eternity had passed since he last encountered the man's gibberish. He was nearly shocked to hear, "But I don't want the purple wombat to tutor me! I want to be tutor by the hot and beautiful girl, Mitsuki Moto!"

The adolescent felt his face grow red. In the back of his mind, he had a small amount of a suspicion that his father still had feelings for his mother. But he felt a bit of the problem laid in his father's foolish position. If the man had not acted the way he did, maybe the teen's folks would still be together.

"Mitsuki! Marry me, the handsome ninja, and we'll have our wedding on the moon! With lots of cake and unicorns!" Izumi declared with joy.

Yugi now believed enough was enough. He had to wake up his father into the realm of reality. He placed his hands around his mouth before shouting, "Mr. Moto! You left your son at the park again!"

"No! Yugi!" Izumi screamed awake. He frantically looked around to see where he was. With a confused face he mumbled, "I don't remember checking into a motel room. This must be the work of those darn green oranges with wings!"

"Ahem," called a young, irritable voice.

Izumi turned to see Yugi holding a furious expression with his arms crossed over his chest. The man blinked before responding, "Oh yeah, I _do _have a kid."

"'Oh yeah?' Is that all you have to say?" Yugi sighed and shook his head with annoyance.

The man threw off his covers and reached for his son. Pulling the boy closer, he exclaimed with great bliss, "I just don't have any son! I have the son who is the King of Games!"

The adolescent tried to breathe as he attempted to break away from his father's death grip.

Izumi, on the other hand, was very happy he was able to embrace his offspring once again after his long period of absence.

Upon becoming loose, the young adult gasped for air. He scolded, "Dad! We need to leave soon so you won't lose this job! Now march your butt into the bathroom and get ready!"

The man saluted the younger male. Once released from the thick blankets, he stumbled his way towards the bathroom to begin his own preparations for the day.

Yugi took a seat on the sinkable mattress, lost in thought. He couldn't help but smile. A part of him missed the old days of his family's crazy antics in the mornings to get the one named Izumi out of bed. The teen closed his eyes and laughed, recalling the one incident where his mother had whacked his father with her ladle. There was also the other time where the woman had dumped a bucket of icy water filled to the brim onto both the man and offspring after spending a night together watching movies and playing board games only to sleep in very late.

Yugi soon noticed the spirit of the Puzzle coming out as well. He figured his other half had been disturbed out of his deep meditation upon hearing the crazy babble from Izumi. He greeted his companion casually, "Morning, Yami."

"Are the early times always this much fun with your father?" the former pharaoh questioned.

Yugi smiled, "Only on special days ending with the letter 'Y'. But this is better than sharing a room with someone who snores."

"I suppose," Yami agreed. He then changed the subject towards his partner, "You appear as though you needed all the rest you could obtain."

"Yup, I had a good night sleep." the teen nodded with glee. He noticed his darker half appeared distracted by something. He hoped his friend didn't feel left out. He decided to investigate, "Yami, is everything ok?"

The spirit lifted his head when the question was aimed at him. He knew he couldn't disrupt the boy's outing with his old man. He had seen just how much joy came into his partner's heart even when something as ordinary as waking up his parent came. Plus, he needed to find his proof before he could do any proper accusation. He shook his head and answered, "Yes, I am fine."

His eyes crawled over to the coat rack. Inside Yugi's jacket laid their Duel Monsters deck.

Cautiously, the adolescent walked over as he guessed what was on his other half's thought. After pulling out the cards, he took a seat at the round wooden table with a miniscule yellow and green lamp. A small breeze from the A/C unit blew his bangs gently. Yugi realized he never had the chance to speak about the game with his father in great detail. Aware of the man keeping photos of him after being declared the winner of many tournaments, he wondered just how much about the game his dad knew about. His thoughts were interrupted seeing Izumi coming out of the bathroom fully dressed in black pants and a deep blue collar shirt.

"What are you looking at, son?" he asked as he straightened his jacket. He walked over when he saw many reflective parts glaring from the incoming sunlight.

Yugi returned his focus to the table and answered, "Just my cards."

The father quickly looked through what had been placed out. He recognized a few of the monsters and recalled what some of the magic cards were able to do. He did, however, forget what the purple ones did. He then questioned a few designs, such as the pretty blonde wizard with the bright laughing emerald eyes.

"_Odd, I could have sworn the gem around her chocker was red_." he pondered when he saw something else.

"Um, Dad?" Yugi questioned as he glanced up.

"Well, Yugi," Izumi replied with a smile. "It's time to go grab breakfast and head over to the northern part of the city."

The teen nodded. He walked over towards the coat rack once more and pulled down his sapphire jacket. As he placed it on, the spirit of the Puzzle was about to voice out his concern over the deck but kept quiet when he saw Izumi reaching for it. As the pair left, Yami continued on with his thoughts. He was aware he needed to gain proof over Zuri, but he didn't know exactly where to categorize Izumi.

Yugi was about to begin the conversation of Duel Monsters with his father but felt once more of his friend's disturbance. Keeping his eyes ahead he asked, /Yami, are you sure everything's ok?/

The spirit sighed; he couldn't hide everything from his light. The boy had a right to know what may be happening, but he didn't want his companion to have his image of his cheerful father destroyed from his own eyes. After all, Izumi may actually have nothing to do with any of Zuri's plan; he appeared like any other parent would be, minus the excess clumsiness.

Needing to set his answer straight, Yami replied, /Even though you may be having a great time with your father, we will need to keep our guard up against anyone who may be after the Puzzle./

Yugi felt a bit of disappointment remembering what destiny had planned before him. Even though he wanted to be with his dad, he must act carefully around others who may know more about the Puzzle. He lightly nodded.

Izumi noticed how troubled his son became. In a series voice he asked, "Everything ok?"

Yugi turned his attention towards his parent. Not wanting to worry him, he smiled and nodded once more.

The man and son went back to walking along in silence. Izumi glanced down and observed his child continued to wear the chain with the gold pyramid attached.

"_He's still wearing that pendant_." he noted. He placed his hand in his pocket where the boy's deck was held. "_But he also enjoys playing Duel Monsters. Ever since he said he solved it, I don't think I ever seen him take it off, except for sleep. I don't think he plays the game without it; maybe it is his good luck charm… And if so, does that Puzzle mean more to him than his cards? The same ones he used to win so many tournaments?_"

Izumi had persisted on with his thoughts when he nearly lost his balance. Lucky for him, his son had caught him in time. He glanced to his side and noticed he almost walked down the stairs as though he had been strolling on air. Looking at his son, he noticed the boy was shaking his head in disapproval. In an innocent voice Izumi said with embarrassment, "Oops…"

"Dad, you need to be careful!" Yugi scolded.

"I was!" Izumi defended himself.

"Save it for your tutoring wombats and weddings on the moon." the adolescent said coldly.

The man stopped in his tracks as his body stiffened. He asked in a nervous tone, "Was I… talking in my sleep again?"

"Of course." Yugi replied with ease. "What else is new?"

"Well, _you _never taking off that pendant for one." Izumi brought up.

The teen quickly grasped his prized treasure.

The father brought up with a laugh, "Well, since I'm going to drive, why don't you go ahead and tell me what you wished for?"

"Nope," the boy answered. "The deal still stands. But I'm sure Mom won't be happy if she hears anything happened to me."

"Wha? No sympathy for me if I die?"

"Mom would throw a party if that happened."

"Um… You do have a point. So, did you write who gets to have the Puzzle in your will?"

"Well… It's not like I can really _give _this away."

"Ok, I'll be sure to tell the mortician that you wish to be buried with the gold pyramid that carries a curse. Of course, your body will be dug up by the mummies who want it back."

"Dad, for the last time, there is no curse."

"Then why do you always wear it? You seem to always have it with you, as though there is something deeper to it…"

Yugi froze at that statement.

Izumi then corrected himself, "Oh, wait, those are the properties of a good luck charm."

"S-see? Two different things!" the son pointed out nervously.

"Ok, ok." the man agreed.

"Besides, this can only be won in a game of Duel Monsters-" Yugi quickly cut himself off realizing he may have said too much. Fortunately for him, Izumi only asked, "So, what, you're into gambling now?"

"Dad! I don't like to gamble!" the teen protested. He may not like the activity, but he had always had to take a risk with his or other people's souls in the participation of a Shadow Game. He wished he didn't have to, but he must remain strong, so he could assist his partner and win the deadly match.

"Yugi, when you become an adult, gambling and beer will be very, very good for you." Izumi stated in a light tone. He then laughed, "I gambled when I finally asked your mother out!"

"Yeah, and look how good _that _turned out." the boy rolled his eyes.

The father and son ate a quick breakfast at the motel. As they head to the parking lot in search for the vehicle, it wasn't too hard to locate after seeing the only car with banged up sides and duct tape wrapped around the bumper. Yugi and Yami looked as though they were about to ride in their own coffin. Izumi laughed lightheartedly.

"So, Yugi-"

"No, the deal still stands."

Xxx

Yugi was extremely grateful when the vehicle finally made it to their destination. He closed his eyes and placed his hands over his chest as he inhaled greatly.

The spirit in the Puzzle could have sworn something flashed within his mind.

Izumi closed his door and said, "Sorry, I should also have that steering wheel checked."

"Yes, you should." Yugi agreed in a testy tone.

The father and son came up to an ominous looking building. The architecture was two stories tall with many dim windows. Yami came out with his arms crossed. He eyed the place in front of him carefully.

"Dad, are you sure this is right?" the adolescent asked, feeling something odd. "You do have a habit of ending up at the wrong location first."

Izumi pulled out his cell phone to check his messages. "Yeah, sure is."

"So what exactly do you need to do?" the teen asked, curious to know more about his dad's workplace.

"Just hold a meeting to bring up profits." Izumi answered. He lowered his head, as though something were disturbing his natural cheerful tune.

Yugi grew worried at the sudden change, "Dad, is everything ok?"

"I hadn't said anything, especially to your mother, but we all hope this new project discussion will bring us out of near bankruptcy." the man said quietly. He did not want to concern his son with his own problems, so he added in a happy tone, "Well, I know if we work hard enough, this won't happen. Let's go."

Yugi watched his father with sad eyes accompanied by a frown. Yami became surprised about the news as well. Neither of them had any clues about what went on.

The young adult lowered his head. In his heart he was very glad his father's company had allowed him the luxury of being able to travel with his father. He wished he could do something to help. Slowly, he walked along side with Izumi.

The spirit found himself in a quandary as well. He did not wish for one of his partner's creators to lose his job, but he also couldn't risk anything to go wrong by the greed held within Zuri.

Izumi and Yugi entered the architecture to a room appearing like any lobby. Metal black chairs and round tables were set around with a red carpet underneath. The entire space was eerie with silence.

"Dad, where is everyone?" the teen asked. He had expected to see other employees walking around and already prepared for the meetings. He grew stun hearing his father blurt out, "Hey! Anyone here?"

"D-dad!" Yugi repeated, his cheeks becoming a tad pink.

"Wha? I'm only checking to see who else is here." Izumi replied with his son glancing down at the floor.

Embarrassed, Yugi mumbled, "Well, yeah, but still…"

Izumi chuckled as he ruffled his son's hair.

The young adult placed his arms over his head for protection as he protested, "Dad! You don't need to treat me like a kid! I'm the King of Games now!"

"And what a title that is." praised a different voice.

The father and son turned to see a man with long dark hair accompanied with four other strong men in black suits and shades. Once the two realized Zuri had arrived, they both scrambled to a more proper formation. Yugi's heart quickly pumped faster as he bowed a bit.

"Good morning, Zuri." Izumi greeted with respect.

Yugi reflected about what his father had told him earlier. He decided to speak up, "Um… Thanks again… Mr. Zuri… for allowing me to come with my dad."

"Think nothing of it." the man in charge replied. "Now if you both follow me…"

Yugi and Izumi strolled along with Zuri and the group of men up a flight of stairs to the second story.

Yami watched the man in charge carefully. Quickly, he grew uncomfortable. He spotted the greed within Zuri's eyes multiplying greatly. He did his best to hide his concerns from his partner but continued to observe from the shadows.

The three males arrived to a large room. In the center was a vast table with many seats available. There was a large window with a view of a lawn with many brown patches.

Yugi walked over to the glass and looked out with crestfallen eyes. He held a better understanding why the meeting needed to be elsewhere and why everyone needed to be checked in a motel rather than an expensive inn with marble statues and giant oil paintings. He figured the company needed to save as much money as it could. He wanted to help but wasn't sure what he was capable of. He wondered if he could be of any use at all.

With his heart beating, he turned around and offered, "Mr. Zuri, I understand your company is having a bit of a problem. Please, if there's anything I can do let me know."

The two men were surprised about the request. When the tiny shock passed, Izumi was glad to see his son showing more initiative. He had always been happy to see the boy have a good heart but voicing his concern was a different matter.

Zuri smiled in a way that made a certain pharaoh even more uneasy.

"That's very kind of you." Zuri remarked slyly. He took a step forward and looked towards Izumi, "Would you mind staying here while I have a private word with your son in another room?"

The father glanced over towards his child, who appeared ready to assist in anyway. He nodded.

Once granted permission, Zuri, Yugi, and two of the four strong men walked over to a different room towards the end of the hallway.

"So, young Mr. Moto." Zuri began casually once they had exited. "You won both Duelist Kingdom and Battle City with that brilliant pendant around your neck."

"Um… y-yeah." the adolescent answered nervously, especially with the adult title attached to his last name by a man with power.

"How did you acquire such a magnificent looking piece?" the man with shoulder length hair asked.

"Um… I got it from my grandfather," the young adult replied. "He said it came from Egypt."

"Just like Duel Monsters." Zuri laughed. "What a coincidence!"

"Um… Y-yeah." the teen stammered as his heart rate had gone up.

Xxx

Izumi glanced over towards a brown box in the corner of the room. He casually walked over as curiosity overtook him. He figured a little exploration would be more entertaining than attempting to have a conversation with stone men in suits and shades.

Kneeling down, he pulled apart the flaps and grew surprised to see two Duel Disks in working condition. He picked up one of the primarily white devices and examined it. He had always seen them on TV but never had the chance to actually touch one. He was amazed to know that the machine he held could produce an actual monster from the popular trading card game.

He wondered what it would be like to slip one on. All the buttons appeared so interesting and tempting. Before he had the chance to do anything, he wondered why there were Duel Disks in the meeting room the first place. He recalled his boss had played the game a few times and the man had requested to play a round with Yugi. He was curious to know if the man was serious.

"_Hmm… Maybe if things DO go well, then maybe I'll get a chance to duel Zuri and my son… Good thing Yugi reminded me that those purple cards are trap cards on the way over_…"

Xxx

Yugi and Zuri entered the last room in the corridor. When the door opened, Yugi found himself in a smaller room than the one he had been in before. There was practically nothing in the new space he was introduced to. All he could find was a simple brown table and another dusty window. He wondered why he had been brought away from his dad.

"Um… Mr. Zuri?" he questioned.

The door behind the group had closed with two muscular men in suits blocking the exit.

Zuri stood proudly in front of them with his hands behind his back. He took a step forward and asked, "So, Yugi, how much has your father mentioned to you about the company?"

"He told me that the company is near bankruptcy." the small teen answered. "I'm sorry to hear that." 

"And you are aware of how many changes in jobs your father had endured, am I correct?" the man further questioned.

The adolescent felt his heart sting a bit. He understood his father had been through more than one job, sometimes juggling two at once when he was around the Moto household. Not having the strength to answer completely, he simply nodded his head.

Yami wondered why Zuri was interviewing his partner in such a manner. He may have applauded his other half for wanting to assist a family member, but he did not like the idea of Yugi being alone with people twice his height and strength. Despite himself not having much in physical features, he could at least call upon Shadow Magic if he had to. He couldn't risk his partner being injured because he could not find the force to take action.

/Yugi, would you mind if I took control for a bit?/ he finally requested.

The adolescent looked over towards the transparent figured confused. /Why? What's wrong?/

/I… I don't trust this man./ the spirit at last confessed.

The Puzzle bearer always held faith in his darker self and friend. He figured if the former pharaoh was to have at least a word with Zuri, perhaps his fears could be put to rest, and the group can work with a plan to save the company. He nodded.

A light flashed, and the small boy was quickly replaced by someone a little taller with a few extra gold spikes. A pair of narrow, violet eyes flew open. He placed his arms over his chest and stared down the man filled with greed.

"You seem quite interested not only in this family but also this Puzzle." Yami brought up.

"Izumi does work for me. And the gold necklace sure is a popular subject among those who Duel." Zuri answered. Surprised to see the Moto who stood in front of him suddenly act different, he decided to just roll with it.

"What do you mean?" the spirit questioned as he lift up a brow.

"That eye in the center must mean something." the man answered. "Seeing how it had been used as a design not only on a few Duel Monster cards but also a few gold items seen within Battle City."

Yami's eyes narrowed even more. By the statement, he understood Zuri had done more research about the Items and what each one holds. However, he couldn't allow anything to fall out of place. He decided to reply, "Perhaps Pegasus had an interest in the design."

"Or he had another idea in mind." Zuri quickly retorted.

/Yami, what's going on?/ Yugi questioned.

The spirit kept his eyes on his enemy but answered, /I believe Zuri is after the Puzzle./

The boy gasped, /We got to do something!/

/Yes, I am aware of this matter./ Yami debated about what he should next.

/But… what about my dad?/ the teen sadly asked as he closed his sorrowful orbs. He clinched his fists tightly; he didn't want his father to lose a job after searching for so long.

The spirit, on the other hand, could not reply. He had a suspicion the small questions were all there to torment Yugi's heart, which had nearly worked.

"What is it that you want?" Yami finally asked.

"To revive the company." Zuri answered innocently.

The spirit contracted his eyes, "What is it that you _truly _desire?"

The man's smile faded upon realizing the one in front of him had at last clicked what the true intentions were. In a cold voice, he echoed, "To revive the company."

In a flash, the two men from behind Zuri raced over to where Yami stood. They reached for the young adult with their strong limbs. With his arms held in place, the spirit did his best to try and break free.

/Yami!/ Yugi cried out seeing his partner in trouble. The two turned hearing an evil laugh.

Zuri stepped forward and question, "Young Yugi, don't you love how someone had actually hired your father?"

The teen in his transparent state glanced towards the man with power. He was clearly worried about his darker self but couldn't help but had his heart drawn over to the luring questions.

Despite wanting to break free, Yami noticed how his partner had changed.

Zuri chuckled a bit with pleasure, for he knew the boy was in his grasp. He continued on, "Izumi Moto may not be the brightest, but that doesn't mean he can't be promising. He shows initiative and does all he can for his job. And because of his joyous personality, he manages to get along well with his co-workers… Is that honestly so bad?"

The small boy clamped his eyes as his heart began to hurt.

Yami felt the same both by the link and through himself. From what he had seen, Izumi was a caring man, a loving father, and carried no plans to cross his son. Before either one could speak, one the men had popped something within the victim's mouth, quickly followed by a splash of water. Faster than a blink of an eye, the Puzzle had been lifted off the chosen one's body, and in a flash the two souls that had been connected were reunited with their own parts. Yugi was back in his form while the spirit returned to the Puzzle. Both had been drained a bit from the sudden switch that neither of them initiated.

Yugi tiredly opened one eye and looked to his right. One of the men proudly held the gold artifact by the chain and away from within reach of the tiny student. He couldn't move either of his legs, but that did not stop him from wiggling around. The men were surprised by the sudden strength, so they quickly tightened their grip. Yugi continued with his struggle. To his and everyone else's surprise, he broke free. He quickly backed away from the men and Zuri. He didn't know what he could. He had been pulled away from his darker half and his own physique was growing weary.

He closed his eyes and he yelled as loud as he could, "DAD!"

Xxx

Izumi placed the items back in the box before he was scolded by his boss, or worse, his son. When the task was done, he wondered how much longer everything would take. He was curious to know what the two had been speaking about. Deep down, he wanted to have the meeting then spend more time with his son even if was just an hour before work would continue.

He hoped if the off chance his son and Zuri were speaking about him they both would regard him kindly. He knew his child had always meant well, but he didn't want his boy to have to lie for his sake.

His chest soon tightened, a bad feeling grew within. It was the same sentiment he had right before he heard the news about Yugi ending up in the hospital after being caught in a burning warehouse. The feeling was something only a parent could endure, and it wasn't at all pleasant. It was feeling he never wished to have ever again.

His eyes widen when he heard a childlike voice cry out in need, "DAD!"

"Yugi?" Izumi gasped. He was about to race over towards the doors when the two men blocked the entrance. The man stared down at the two henchmen. He ordered fiercely, "Out of the way! My son is in trouble!"

The two males in suits refused to move.

Izumi became displeased. He backed up a bit before charging through. He had managed to just barely squeeze out. Once free, he raced down the corridor in an attempt to reach his offspring.

"Yugi!" he cried out. "Where are you!?"

Racing down the eerie corridor, he heard another cry, "DAD!"

He reached the end and was shocked seeing his son held hostage by the two strong men. He turned his attention towards Zuri and asked, "What is the meaning of this!?"

"Izumi, don't you like your job?" the man questioned.

"Wha?" the older Moto gasped.

"Surly you would want to keep working after searching for so long." Zuri persisted once again.

Yugi glanced over towards his father. He knew the man with long hair was using the same trick. He wondered what his father would do.

"What does this have to do with my son!?" Izumi asked in an angry tone.

Both Yugi and Zuri were thrown off by sudden the statement.

Zuri cleared his throat before answering, "Izumi, you know the company will need to raise profits in order to stay within the market. Having this valuable gold piece will surely help with its mystical properties."

The father couldn't bear to hear anymore. He raced over towards the strong men and used his parental force to break free his son. Once the boy had been released, the two rushed out of the room and down the corridor. Izumi had been a bit surprised no one was after him, but Yugi was not. The teen found himself losing his strength through his legs, but running was not as tedious as before.

"D-dad!" he bellowed.

"Don't worry, Yugi." Izumi tried to assure. "We'll get you out of here!"

"No! We can't leave!" the teen argued.

"Yugi! It isn't safe here!" the father tried to counter. "We must get you ought of here!"

When the two finally exited the old architecture, Yugi fell to his knees. He couldn't run anymore. Even though he had earned a great amount of stamina, he was already out of breath. He wondered if the drowsiness had anything to do with what had been washed down his mouth earlier.

"Yugi, are you ok?" Izumi asked with concern as he knelt down and placed his hands on the boy's shoulder.

The adolescent gasped but managed to repeat himself, "We need… to go… back…"

"Go back?" the man questioned. "For what? Why?"

"My Puzzle…" the boy answered tiredly. "I need to go back… and save… him…"

"Him?"

"My… friend…."

The father glanced down. He figured the bond between his child and the gold pendant meant the world to him. He recalled the artifact had taken eight years before its completion, and Yugi must have held plenty of sentimental value. Izumi couldn't stand by and allowed something precious to his son be taken lightly.

He boldly stood up.

"Dad?" Yugi gasped quietly.

"Stay here." his father ordered in a tone completely unlike his usual self.

The boy glanced up and saw how serious his father's eyes had become.

The man began his route back to the building to face his soon to be former boss.

"I'll be right back." he stated boldly.

Yugi stood up and watched his father leave. Despite having a good intention, he knew he had to go back as well and rescue his other self. As he took a few steps, each one began to grow harder and harder to endure.

**To be continued…**

Chao- Suspense! That is what Chao needed before moving forward! Didn't want the two to talk then suddenly be thrown into the climax. There needed to be suspense before action.

YChao- RIGHT… even though most readers will probably skip those small scenes.

Chao- Yep…. Darn you creativity! You only seem to show up whenever Chao has too much homework to complete!


	10. Daddy Rescue Part 1

Chao- When Chao writes a chapter ahead of time, Chao keeps it with a temporary title so Chao can remember which document was what before it becomes an actual chapter. Sometimes Chao likes the title so much that it ends up becoming official. Like this one!

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

/Yami and Yugi's mind link./

**Chapter 10:** **Daddy Rescue Part 1**

"Stay here." Izumi ordered in a serious tone after placing his son on one of the firm furniture within the empty lobby.

"But… Dad…" the teen with tri-color hair protested as he tiredly tried to get back on his heavy feet.

"Don't worry." the man assured as he knelt down and placed his hands gently on Yugi's shoulder. "I'll get your puzzle back. But for now, I need you stay here and away from Zuri."

"Dad." Yugi whispered, remembering how much his father had always cared about him.

Izumi pulled his son closer to him and wrapped his arms around his child's shoulders as he said quietly, "I'm sorry, Yugi. I'll make this up to you somehow."

Earlier Izumi had noticed his son continued to follow him even though he had been ordered not to. The father had picked up his son and carried him back into the ominous building. He did not want to see his boy receive any more harm from the outside.

Yugi managed to stand up from his seat only to be knocked back down by his own weight.

Izumi marched back up the stairs and down the corridor. He was set to face the madness of Zuri. Even if it meant losing his job, he was furious something horrible had happened to his child. He clinched his fists tightly. "_I'm sorry, Yugi. If I had known what Zuri was up to, I would have never brought you along. I know we both wanted to spend some time together after so many years apart, but you didn't deserve what came down upon you_."

Like any father, he was determined to set things straight.

He narrowed his eyes reaching the door where Zuri and his henchmen were located. In one swift motion, Izumi slammed the door wide open. He was pleased to see his theory was correct.

"Zuri!" Izumi called out with anger.

From his transparent state, Yami gasped, surprised to see his partner's parent returned. Even though he had wished his light to be safe, a part of him was relieved to see someone came back for him. He looked around in hope for his other half. Not seeing the small boy with tri-color hair, he became crestfallen. He could only pray for the safety of both the Moto family members.

"Ah, Izumi." the man with shoulder length hair replied as he turned around. "Where is young Yugi Moto?"

"You're dealing with me now!"

"Perhaps… But this matter is more between me and the King of Games."

"And why is that?"

"I need to duel him first."

"D-duel? At a time like this!"

"Calm yourself, Izumi. But, yes, a round of Duel Monsters is necessary."

"For what reason?"

"This." Zuri held in the air with one arms straight out a gold upside down pyramid with a silver chain. The ancient item wobbled a bit with sparkling sunlight bouncing off.

"_Yugi's puzzle_." Izumi gasped. He stepped forward, "You're going to challenge my son to a card game over a puzzle?"

"You clearly don't know anything about the game, this item, or your son." Zuri shook his head.

"What do you mean by that!?" Izumi growled loudly. Even though he didn't remember every single detail about his kid, Izumi had constantly tried his best to show interest.

"I was supposed to duel your son in order to win this item." the man explained. "That's how the trade works."

"_I guess that's what Yugi was about to tell me on the way over here_." Yugi's father assumed. He quickly retorted, "Well, he's in no mood for a game!"

"But he'll need to face me if he wishes to be cured and have his puzzle returned."

"Cured? What do you mean by that!?"

"Haven't you at all noticed your son appearing fatigued?"

"Well…"

"To ensure my victory, I had to calculate the odds into my favor. I understand those who had tried to face the King of Games had troubled in doing so before."

Izumi narrowed his eyes even more understanding what happened to his offspring. He had trusted his boss and was ecstatic to have been granted the privilege to have his child accompany him. Having once truly believing Zuri was interested in the help Yugi had offered, Izumi growled once more in a low tone, "You monster."

"What was that?" the man with greed questioned.

"I won't let you get my son!" the parent declared with no fear. "You monster!"

"Oh, is that how this will be?"

"Damn straight!"

"And to think I thought you liked having a job."

"Damn it, Zuri! Can't you think of anything other than your stupid greed!?"

"Is saving the company, your job, and everyone else's job greedy!?"

Izumi fell silent. Even though the intention was good, the actions were not. He understood Zuri will not stop until he receives his match, and Yugi will persist to go after his Puzzle one way or another. Izumi, however, refused to stand by any longer.

Yami was drawn to the argument between the two men. He developed a better understanding about what the vicious craving man had planned. His eyes had widened hearing his theory was correct; Zuri had done research about the Items. Glancing over to him with pure rage, he tightened his fists. He wished he could have done something to prevent his partner from being drugged.

"Fine, Zuri, you shall have your match." Izumi finally agreed.

The one in charge and the spirit of the Puzzle turned surprised. The former pharaoh glanced over to see what Yugi's father had in mind. He hoped the man would not betray his son in order to keep his job. Both he and Zuri were stunned to hear, "But on one condition!"

"Which is?"

"You will need to duel me first."

"And I suppose you know how to play?"

"I've been learning."

"And as for a deck?"

"As I said, you'll need to duel me first." Izumi pulled out a stack of cards, the very same ones that belonged to his son and added, "Because I am the one who holds my son, the King of Games', deck."

Yami's eyes expanded. He had forgotten his partner's parent held the deck after they all left from the motel. He had wondered how his light would fight when he was truly in no condition to do so. He doubt Zuri would allow his other half to wear the Puzzle and have him take control.

He glanced back over to Izumi, who persisted in a series tone unlike Yami had seen, "If I win, then you'll duel my son fair and square."

"What, you're not about to just take this Puzzle and run off?" Zuri taunted.

Yami had the same thought. Even though the parent of Yugi may not have been strong, he appeared fast.

"What good with that do any of us." Izumi spat coldly. "You'll only be after the Puzzle once more."

"Indeed." Zuri grinned wickedly when a malicious idea came to mind. He then nodded, "Then it's a deal."

The spirit could only watch as the ancient artifact was set back down on the table. He eyed all the men who left the room in search for a better place to duel. He hoped the cards would guide Yugi's father to victory. He closed his eyes and prayed with all his heart his light was all right.

Izumi followed Zuri and the men in suits to the large room he originally thought was the place with the company's meeting. He clinched his fists. He couldn't believe how foolish he had been earlier. He had wished he had known everything, so he could have prevented all this mess. He shook his head. Now was not the time for regrets; now was the time for playing a card game to help save his son.

Zuri casually strolled to where the box with the Duel Disks was held. When he reached for one, he tossed the white device over to Izumi, who caught it with one hand easily. The man who was overtaken by his goals then placed one on his own wrist. Before activating the machine, he opened the window and jumped down.

"Hey!" Izumi called out. He was surprised about what took place. He raced over and glanced down to see his boss and the men in shades all waiting at the bottom.

"Are you thinking of backing out now?" Zuri questioned in a mocking tone. "You had always shown so much initiative at work."

The man in the blue shirt grunted with displeasure. He didn't have time to race down the stairs and out of the building; he needed every second to play and hopefully win the match. Fortunately for him, he was never afraid of heights. He always had to climb trees and other high places to escape the wrath of his angry ex-wife whenever he would visit, if he was lucky.

In one swift movement, Izumi jumped down and gracefully landed.

Walking over, he couldn't help but notice how much his boss had changed. Even though Zuri was in charge, he had always been cool and easy going. Now he appeared much different than before. As Izumi prepared his deck, his eyes widen when he saw darkness coming out from nowhere.

"What's going on!?" Izumi yelled when he observed he was in a completely different area than before.

"I think you'll find this round of Duel Monsters to be quite interesting." Zuri answered with an evil chuckle. "Let us now begin!"

Izumi glanced at his deck. He was aware how much heart his son had placed in. He was very grateful he had called days beforehand to learn how to play a round of Duel Monsters before his trip began. Reaching for his first five cards, his hands shook when he felt something odd. Normally when picking up a cardboard with an image there isn't a strange beat within. He was feeling something out of the ordinary, but he couldn't help but have it feel familiar, almost as a positive emotion.

After drawing his fist five cards, Izumi studied what he had. He listened carefully when he had been given instructions how to play, and he had even asked around for any ideas if any of his co-workers had played. Whenever he had chatted about the strange card game, he noticed how many eyes lit up with joy. He gained a better knowledge why his son enjoyed playing the game. He was very glad his child was able to find something that brought him joy and friends.

"I'll go first." Zuri heavily insisted.

Izumi allowed for his boss to initiate the game. He wanted to see what monsters the evil man would bring out.

After drawing his first card, Zuri announced, "I'll play one card face down. And next, I summon Darkfire Soldier #1 in attack mode!"

A tall, muscular man with long wavy blonde hair wielding a sword came out onto the field (1700/1150).

Yugi's father grew amazed with what he had seen. Standing in front of him was a hologram of a monster from the famous trading card game. His body trembled with awe.

"It's your move." Zuri stated.

His opponent glanced down at his hand. He remembered he needed to draw a card before declaring a move. After he drew one, he became astonished with what he was holding. If he were to place any one of his son's card, then that small slip of paper with an image would be brought into reality.

Taking a deep breath, Izumi finally decided, "I'll play Feral Imp (1400/1300) in defense mode!"

A green creature with pink claws and a giant horn appeared on Izumi's side of the field. The man grew surprised about what critter had popped up. After looking at the numbers held between the two monsters, Izumi was glad he had placed his choice in a position that would not lose him any life points.

"So you do have some knowledge about this game." Zuri complimented. "Too bad it will only get you so far."

"What do you mean?" Izumi questioned.

"It's my move!" the other man declared. He drew one card then looked at his hand. His arrogant smirk sent a chill down his opponent's spine. Zuri pushed a button on his Duel Disk as he declared, "I activate my magic card, Stop Defense! This will allow one monster on my opponent's side of the field to be switched to an attacked position!"

"Oh no!" Yugi's father gasped as his Feral Imp switched from kneeling to standing up.

"Now I'll have my Darkfire Soldier attack!" Zuri announced with greedy joy.

The human-like creature stormed across with his sword. With one powerful blow, the green imp was slashed and destroyed. Izumi's life points came down from 4000 to 3700.

A strong shock barged into Izumi's heart. He clutched his chest as he screamed out with agony. Unaccustomed to the pain, he fell to one knee. His body trembled with fear and pain. He didn't understand what had happened. He didn't know a mere hologram could cause so much damage to a person.

"Perhaps or perhaps not you realized this is no ordinary game." Zuri explained as his most likely former employee started to stand after the affliction wore off.

As Izumi straightened himself out, he questioned once more, "What do you mean?"

"This is why I must duel young Yugi Moto." Zuri answered. "But for now, let us continue our own match. It is now your turn."

Izumi shook off his dizziness; he wouldn't allow any more harm to come to his son. He needed to do all he could. He may not completely understand everything around him, but he had always supported his boy whenever he could. He drew one card and studied his hand. He did have a few monster cards that could beat what was placed on the field, but he remembered the rule about having to sacrifice a monster first. He decided to play it safe until he could figure out more of what he could do.

"I play Kuriboh (300/200) in defense mode." he stated.

A little brown fuzz ball with yellow orbs, purple irises, and green limbs bounced out.

Izumi couldn't help but smile. "_Hey, that furry guy is pretty adorable_…"

"I'll place down one card," Zuri made his move. "And then I'll switch my Darkfire Soldier to defense mode."

The buff man submitted himself from standing to kneeling.

Izumi was unclear why his former boss had done such a move. Even though an attack could have been made, he remembered that sometimes it is best to play out a strategy as oppose to attacking monsters blindly.

"My move!" he said with his serious attitude returned to him. He studied his cards once more. His eyes were caught by a pretty blonde girl with laughing emerald eyes. He examined her status with great attention. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a powerful pull from that particular card. He then remembered he was playing with his son's deck. Yugi was obviously called King of Games for a reason. He decided to take the chance and have an upper hand.

"I sacrifice Kuriboh and play Dark Magician Girl in his place!" Izumi declared with confidence.

A fun loving wizard donned with the colors pink and sky blue while wielding a cute staff came out to play (2000/1700).

Zuri became surprised. He knew he was playing against Yugi Mutou's deck, but he didn't expect Izumi to be able to play such a powerful monster so quickly.

Izumi debated about what move to do next. He wanted to take down his former boss, so he could save his son. But he also had to be careful to not allow his distressful emotions block himself from brainstorming ideas to win the match. He had also hoped he could be seen as more than just a clumsy father in eyes of his son.

"_Don't worry, Yugi. I'll win your Puzzle back, your friend_."

Xxx

A sudden shock entered a young adult's heart.

He cried out in pain.

His wail bounced off the walls of the empty lobby.

After sitting and inhaling heavily for a bit, Yugi finally gained strength to stand up. Unfortunately for him, he recognized the horrible sensation that had stampeded him. He needed to find his other self fast.

When he gained enough stamina, he started to walk. His body was growing tired, but he couldn't sit down. He needed to save his friend and his father. He wasn't sure what his dad was capable of, but he strongly believed he needed to face Zuri.

As he finally arrived to the staircase, he gazed at it with immense intimidation. Every step he took would lead him closer to his other half, but every stride would be agonizing. He needed to locate his companion. He remembered all the training he had endured while preparing for the dreaded event with his friends.

Now Yugi needed to complete a similar journey for Izumi and Yami.

He took a deep breath and began to climb up.

**To be continued…**

Chao- Looks like Izumi is dueling while Yugi is off in search of his puzzle… Man, Chao is SO tired…. stupid heat wave…. giving Chao heat exhaustion…

Yami- Good, then maybe you'll stop writing these dumb stories.

Chao- Wait, so you DON'T want Chao to have Yugi be cured and his fictional father save you and reunite you with your lighter half?

Yami- Umm…

Chao- Sigh, you people are SO hard to please.


	11. Daddy Rescue Part 2

Chao- This was one of the earliest parts written for this story. But since the original content became corrupted, Chao had to type this up ALL over again. Sorry if this isn't completely suspenseful.

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

/Yami and Yugi's mind link./

**Chapter 11: Daddy Rescue Part 2**

The match trudged on. The two amateur duelists grew weary from the effect of battle within the horrid Shadows.

Izumi had lost his Dark Magician girl. But before the giggly wizard was forced into the graveyard, she smiled over towards him. He was unsure of what happened, but he felt the female blonde was telling him to keep moving forward.

Zuri and Izumi had managed to lose a good amount of life points as well. Whenever a monster fell victim and was destroyed, both endured a harsh crash of affliction within their bodies. And as the fierce game went on, Yugi's father felt something else was else was pulling at him. Whenever he stared across the field, he saw a pair of greedy eyes behind many monsters, which included the man's former boss as well.

"Well, Izumi, are you ready to just surrender?" Zuri would ask the same question every few moves.

"Heck no." Yugi's father answered sternly.

"Suit yourself." the man with selfish intentions replied.

"I will." Izumi boldly stated. "And after this, count on me looking for another job."

"Good luck with that." Zuri taunted. "But let's not forget, if this company does fail all the way through, you can kiss a recommendation goodbye."

Izumi grunted. It took him awhile before he found a place he could work. He may not like having to be away from his family or wear proper attire, but money was money. He was at once content with calling over to his family and chatting for the past few years, but now everything had altered in one day. He did not want his paycheck to reek with his own desire for work over the safety of his son.

He prepared to draw a card when his turn arrived.

With great disbelief, he gasped at the card he held in his hands. In the shiny image stood a purple wizard wielding a very powerful staff. The human-like creature's stats were quite high, a very potent card indeed. Not only was Izumi impressed with what had been found, but he also was aware of the particular monster being his son's favorite.

"I activate my face down card, Soul Exchange!" he declared. "This allows me to use one of my opponent's monsters in place for one of my own monsters to be sacrificed. I will now summon Dark Magician (2500/2100)!"

The strong magic user appeared on the field. He turned and stared at the one who had summoned him. He knew his master for the current round was not his usual. As he scanned Izumi's soul, he noticed compelling similarities within the man. He felt the agony of Yugi's father for his son and the will to fight on. Pleased he had been brought into the game by such a brave and caring man made Dark Magician want to fight by his side.

"How impressive." Zuri praised as his eyes narrowed.

"_Please Dark Magician_." Izumi pleaded. "_I know you belong to my son, but please help me win this battle for him_."

Xxx

As the spirit stood alone in the empty room, he remembered the weeks his lighter half spent preparing for the Sports Festival. Despite having a huge battle within his heart, Yugi did his best to overcome his own weakness to be with his friends. He also recalled the night the teen spilt his deepest fears and saddest moments towards him. Great amounts of grief may have surfaced, but Yami had assisted his companion to feeling better.

He wondered how the match between Izumi and Zuri went. A chill had raced down his spine as the bitter sentiment of the start of Shadow Game swept through him hard like a gust of wind. He could only hope for the safety of his light and his partner's parent. He had witnessed just how strong Izumi was, and perhaps even Yugi was able to gain a little courage from his father.

Suddenly, the handle to the only exit in the area jiggled. Startled, the pharaoh turned to see the door slowly open. In the doorway stood a small teen with tri-color hair.

"Yugi!" Yami shouted with glee as the two were finally reunited. After a closer examination, his face turned from pure joy to true anxiety. His partner appeared very pale and panted as he leaned against the doorway rail on his back for support.

The teen was glad he found his transparent friend. He smiled the best he could muster. Step by step, he painstakingly pushed himself towards his treasure that glistened on the table from the setting sun. He appeared to be using all of his strength just to keep himself from falling. His heart squeezed hard in his throbbing chest with every beat his overly worked muscles pumped. But he couldn't stop. He hoped by reuniting with his other half, the spirit would be able to do something.

"Almost… there…" he mumbled faintly.

He only had a few more steps, but every stride appeared like a miles worth of running. Unlike his competition with his friends, for his friends, Yugi failed in keeping up with the harsh demand. Darkness engulfed the poisoned victim.

Yami could only watch in horror as the petite adolescent descended from his height to the ground. The vibration of his crash caused the gold item to fall off the edge and land on the floor. The young adult dropped on his side with one arm stretched out. The Puzzle was only a few inches away from his reach.

"Yugi!" Yami bellowed as he rushed over to his partner. He knelt on the ground and tried to stay connected with his friend. The attachment the two souls shared dwindled.

"Yugi! No!" Yami shrieked with pain, for he could not switch places with his fading light.

Xxx

Several turns passed by in an instant. Izumi was able to uncover ways in keeping his Dark Magician alive. He was growing even wearier, but he was determined to save his offspring.

Zuri, on the other hand, was not at all pleased with the way events had happened. He wanted so much to rescue his company he had worked so hard, but now it appeared he was about to lose everything.

A strong shock slammed into Izumi's chest. The sensation was far different than what he had experienced earlier from his monsters. He shot a hateful glance towards his former boss. He knew his son was in danger. He believed he had to end the game before anything worse could partake.

"Dark Magician! Attack and take down the rest of Zuri's life points!" Izumi commanded with full force.

The human-like creature was not at all pleased his original master was harmed. He agreed the enemy needed to be finish off. With one swift movement, the purple wizard lifted his staff and executed a strong blast of magic.

"NO!" Zuri cried out.

The enemy had lost everything. He could only scream in terror as the Shadows grew in on him. With one final shriek, the man's soul and mind were gone. The men in suits had vanished as well.

Izumi rushed over. He caught his former boss before the body could hit the ground. With a great search, he went through the man's pocket. He knew what he needed to find that had been mentioned throughout the darkest match of Duel Monsters he had ever played. He soon found the little bag he had been searching for, the antidote for his son.

He quickly raced towards the area where his kidnapped offspring was kept.

Xxx

Yami knelt on the floor. He could only weep as he watched his partner lose his life in front of him. He felt the world around him turning cold and dark once more. He knew without his light he would no longer exist. He prayed with all his might someone would come and save the innocent teen, even at the cost of his own.

He reflected the few moments the boy was able to enjoy with his father. He wondered why his partner had to endure so much when he only wanted to spend time with his old man. The adolescent went beyond his limitation for his friends and wanted so much to save his father.

The spirit gingerly lifted his hand and wanted to place it on his weakened partner's face. He gasped with fear seeing he was far more transparent than before. He clearly saw he wouldn't be around much longer. He tightened his fists as several more droplets of salty water consumed with sorrow fell from his crestfallen eyes.

Despite all the ache in his heart, he begged deeply for the health of his light, /Yugi, don't give up!/

Suddenly, he sensed another soul. He knew the aura was Yugi's father. He stood up and shut his eyes, so he could concentrate his magic. He did his best to guide his friend's creator to the room where his son lied.

/Hold on Yugi!/ he pleaded. /Your father is on his way to see you! You had worked so hard just to see him! Keep fighting!/

A finger belonging to the adolescent twitched.

Xxx

Izumi was devastated to see his child was nowhere near the lobby. He sprinted up the flight of stairs and down the long corridor. He hurriedly checked as many rooms as he could, endlessly shouting the name of his child. His heart raced with anxiety as everywhere he searched came up a dead end. With the empty areas he came to, he wondered if anyone had relocated the group. He hoped he was not too late to save his son.

Soon enough, he developed a strange feeling in him. He stopped his motion and stared down towards the end of the hallway. Something within himself told him to skip to the last door. He didn't care if it was his parental intuition or not; he had to save his son!

Izumi ran.

He raced as fast as he could.

When he arrived, he stood in the doorway and gasped.

On the ground lied a small body next to a gold artifact.

He found who he had been looking for.

"Yugi!" he called with pure bliss.

Before entering, he saw someone else through the sunset from the window. The transparent figure looked similar to the fallen adolescent. The main difference found was in the eyes. Izumi ignored this as the being began to fade. He sprinted over and examined the boy. Yugi was becoming paler by the minute while his breathing and heartbeat were diminishing.

"Hang on, Yugi!" Izumi bellowed. He lifted up the teen's body and settled the boy's upper form against his chest. With the head in a good position, Izumi carefully placed the pill in the adolescent's mouth. He then hurriedly stretched out to the table for the canteen of water. He opened it up and placed the item by his son's lips. With great care, he gingerly poured the warm water into Yugi's mouth.

Yami watched everything. He decided to do something for the Moto family before he was gone for good. He knelt back to the ground and placed one hand on Yugi's chest. He closed his eyes and concentrated. A mysterious eye glowed on his forehead.

Both the spirit and Izumi grew relieved seeing the teen swallow. He slowly unlocked his innocent pupils. His vision was blurry, but he spotted his father.

"D… Dad?" Yugi questioned quietly.

Izumi smiled, relieved to find his son still alive.

"Don't worry, Yugi." he reassured in a calm voice. "Everything's gonna be all right. You don't need to worry about Zuri or anyone else. Just get some rest now."

"Ok," Yugi nodded his head.

With his remaining strength, he pulled himself closer to his father.

Carefully, Izumi embraced his son as he allowed some tears to cascade down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Yugi." he sobbed.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed for help.

Xxx

Izumi remained in the Waiting Room while his son received emergency medical treatment. He sat on a green bench alone. The only ones passing by were busy doctors, nurses, and a few janitorial people. In his hands he clasped the Millennium Puzzle. He recalled how much the ancient artifact meant for Yugi and Zuri.

"_Zuri was after this because of its grand power_. _But Yugi was given this by Solomon. Yugi really did all he could to keep it. But, why? Is he aware of the ancient power that lies inside? Is he the one who is supposed to put an end to the dark, evil, and mysterious powers? As a parent, am I supposed to allow this?_"

The man entered reality seeing the elderly Moto found him. He smiled a bit. He had called both other members and told them the unfortunate situation Yugi was in once more. The old man took a seat next to his ex-son-in-law. He observed the other man was fixated on the old object.

"Where's Mitsuki?" Izumi asked with his eyes glued down.

"She went out to get some drinks." was the response he received.

He couldn't reply to that. He figured with the woman being troubled by her son being in the hospital once more she should get some fresh air alone. He believed if he were around the fiery woman he would only do damage. He returned his attention back to the Puzzle as the two of them sat and waited for the news about the young adult in care.

"So, you've seem fascinated by Yugi's pendant." Solomon began.

"Heh, more like some kind of strange item everyone wants to get their hands on." Izumi replied. "But there's more to it than it just being a gold necklace, right?"

"See, you can be sharp when you want to be."

"Zuri was only eager to meet Yugi since he knew about the magic in this thing."

"And what happened?"

"Zuri… challenged me to a round of Duel Monsters… But, it was different from any other time that I've played."

"Different how?"

"Like, the monsters were real, not holograms. And whenever they attacked, I felt great amounts of pain in my chest. I could only hope I didn't undergo a heart attack in the middle of the fight for my son's life."

"That would be the least of your problems."

"You sound like an expert on this, and not just Duel Monsters."

Solomon sighed as he could only assume the worst occurred. And yet strangely enough, his grandson was the one in care while Izumi was out. He sighed again as he answered, "More than you know."

"Then shine some light on my extremely dimmed mind."

"The game you entered was called a Shadow Game."

"Shadow Game? Is this some sort of new fade? Thought Duel Monsters was still in… Wait, does this mean I need to learn a whole new set of rules so I can be cool for my Yugi!?"

"Guess your son's opinion matters more to you than your life. No, a Shadow Game could be anything. It can be something as simple as a game of Go Fish, to a game of craps. From something completely made up, to a round of Duel Monsters. The only difference is a player's life is on the line."

"Life? How is that different from any other gamble in a casino?"

"The loser could forfeit his mind, sanity, or even his soul to the dark magic."

"Wow, guess that is a lot worse than earning a shit load of debt."

"Judging by how you won, perhaps you aren't a bad duelist after all."

"Oh, I don't know about that… I actually used Yugi's deck… When the game started, it was really hard at first… I was surrounded with nothing but darkness, monsters, and Zuri… but… I wanted so much to save my son… I was able to feel him…"

"And that light shined through. You were able to have victory and save him."

"This coming from experience?"

"Yes, plenty when I was in Egypt."

Izumi glanced back at the Puzzle. He took a short pause to allow the information to work a way into his over active brain. He was curious to know what more could exist within a children's card game created by an eccentric man.

"Have you met the spirit that lives within?" Solomon finally questioned.

Izumi shot a confused glance towards the old man. He wondered if the person he saw in a ghost-like form was just his imagination running wild once more.

Solomon smiled, "Yes, he does actually look quite similar to Yugi."

"Huh, maybe I have." the younger one chuckled.

He figured the reason his son risked his life for the ancient pendant would have been not only for the sentimental value of coming from the old man, but also since an actual soul was living within. A person was trapped between the pieces of an aged puzzle, a puzzle that no one else in the world had the ability to solve. Izumi couldn't help but wonder what type of person the spirit of the Puzzle was.

He took another stop to think. All these battles while Yugi was only a teenager seemed a bit much. Most people his age only deal with school and hanging out with friends. However, it appeared clear there was something more to the innocent boy with unknown origins of the puppy dog eyes.

Izumi recalled hearing his son saying it took him eight years before the Puzzle was completed. The man was depressed after he heard the news of his son being in a fire. He wondered how fearsome the matches his son endured for the sake of the world before darkness would engulf it. Suddenly, a thought shot a chill down his spine, far worse than the whole Shadow Realm experience.

"Does Mitsuki know about this?" he asked with his features hidden but had a worried smile plastered on his face.

Solomon couldn't help but howl with laughter. The fact that an adolescent with great power still obeyed his mother appeared strange. He could only snicker, "I don't know, Yugi _still _has his Puzzle, even after all this."

"I guess that's a no." Izumi answered himself. "And perhaps that is a good thing. We don't need her fainting over this."

"Have who faint over what?" asked an annoyed voice.

The two men gazed up to see a woman with short, maroon hair and brown eyes.

"M-Mitsuki!" Izumi nearly yelled with shock.

"Keep your voice down." the woman reminded harshly. "We're in a hospital."

She tossed a cold can towards the man. Izumi caught it with one hand easily. The woman took a seat on the bench opposite of the two men. She had her arms crossed and closed her eyes. She was distraught her son was in the hospital once more. She could only hope he would be all right.

Solomon and Izumi glanced at each other. They then nodded their heads in unison.

"Um… Mitsuki…" Izumi tried to begin.

"Don't talk to me!" she snapped.

The man carried a strong desire to speak with his ex-wife, especially now since their offspring was being treated. He stood up and took a seat next to her. To his surprise, the woman did not move. He looked at the ground as he went ahead, "Look, Mitsuki, I know I said I would take care of our baby… And I know I messed up big time… But, could we not fight in front of our son when we see him?"

"What makes you think I _want _to have fights with you." she replied as she glanced at her ex-spouse. Her eyes carried a sentiment appearing hurt rather than angry.

"Ok, you don't," Izumi echoed. "It's just that… I promised Yugi he would have a nice time with me. Perhaps he didn't, considering he's in the hospital once more."

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Solomon tried to comfort. "You'd be surprise how your son may actually feel about this all. To you, it seems your son's opinions mean more and is much harder to obtain than finding a new job."

"A new job!?" Mitsuki nearly screamed. "What happened!? What did you do!?"

"Um, basically the company is bankrupt." Izumi explained with a laugh.

"And did you have anything to do with it?"

"Surprisingly, no."

"How soon do you plan to start looking?"

"As soon as Yugi is said to be all right."

The family became quiet. The two parents of the teen did not want to cause a ruckus in public even if no one else but occasional employees roamed around.

Despite the problems, it appeared the woman in the Moto family had the power. She closed her eyes as she decreed, "Neither of us will mention the job loss, and we will not bicker about it considering how you want to stay 'cool' in his eyes."

Izumi smiled, "Thanks."

She shot her pupils and added with a fierce look, "But after all this is over, I'm going to have Yugi file a restraining order on you."

Solomon could only chuckle as Izumi shook his wife and whine in a childish manner, "Wha? Mitsuki! Don't be so mean!"

Yami kept to himself while viewing the outside world. He carried no connection with anyone but knew since his soul was still around, his light was still fighting. He continued on with his encouragement to his friend.

He glanced between the boy's parents. He couldn't help but smile in amusement. Despite their differences, the two only wanted to be sure their child was fine. He was glad his partner was able to have such wonderful folks.

A doctor finally came out of the room. She had shoulder length blonde hair and carried with her a clipboard. The family stood up and became serious as they waited for the news about the youngest member of the Moto family.

Izumi was about to speak when Mitsuki beat him to it, "How is Yugi?"

"He's fine." the blonde answered. "He's resting right now, but you may go on in and see him."

Yami turned ecstatic hearing his light's condition. The family, and the spirit, thanked the professional and began to walk with her towards the assigned room the boy was kept in. As everyone moved, the pharaoh glanced over and saw Izumi examining the Puzzle once more.

He understood the father of Yugi must have plenty on his mind and heart.

Xxx

As the group entered, they saw a tried form resting on the bed covered with snow sheets. Izumi walked over and placed the Puzzle by the hospital's dark brown nightstand.

Yami came out in his transparent state on the other side of the mattress. He smiled seeing his partner was well.

/Yugi?/ he called out gently.

The small teen with gold bangs started to mentally wake up. Despite still feeling groggy, he recognized who had said his name. Gathering his energy, he replied, /Ya… Yami?/

/Yes, it's me./ the spirit answered with a smile. /Are you all right?/

/Yeah, I'm fine… just a little tried./

/That's good to hear./

/Where… where am I?/

/The hospital./

/The… the hospital?/

/Yes, your father had called for an ambulance./

/He did? Is he ok!?/

The voice chuckled as he suggested, /Why don't you ask him? Your family is here and waiting for you./

/Thanks, Yami./

Yugi slowly opened his eyes. When he did he heard, "Hey, glad to see you're awake."

The teen looked and saw his father. He called with joy, "Dad!"

"My baby!" shrieked another voice.

Yugi turned surprise to suddenly feel a strong hold around his body. When his mind cleared, he saw his mother tightening her grip. She quickly gave her son several kisses on his forehead. She had been so worried about her son landing himself in the hospital once more. She was more than relived to find him all right.

The adolescent couldn't help but feel embarrassed as he heard all three men in the room chuckle.

"M-Mom!" he complained, his face becoming red.

/Don't be so ashamed,/ Yami tried to comfort while attempting to hold back his laughter. After what the two had been through on the adventure, he gained a better understanding of the mother holding affection for her son. /She's only demonstrating her love for you./

"Yugi, are you all right? Do you have a fever?" Mitsuki asked as she looked directly into her son's eyes, worried about his flushed face.

"Mom, I'm fine." Yugi tried to assure as he glanced away, still a little shy.

"What happened?" she questioned, still exasperated.

The teen looked over towards his father, unsure of how to answer.

The woman shot a hateful glance towards her ex-spouse. She quickly reached for an extra pillow behind her son and whacked Izumi with it.

"This is your fault, isn't it!" she assumed.

"Hey! We're in the hospital, aren't we?" the man jokingly retaliated as he placed up his arms for protection.

"Then it's a plus for you since you'll need one hundred doctors to make you well again!" Mitsuki replied angrily as she hit the man once more.

The teen was about to protest when he felt he shouldn't. Despite the small fighting, he saw a small spark within both of his parents' eyes. He couldn't help but smile a bit. He knew his father would be all right; it was just a pillow after all.

He turned his attention towards his grandpa. He could read his grandparent, who wanted to know what happened. Yugi gave a silent answer as he glanced down towards the Puzzle he held in his hands on his lap above the clean white sheets.

The spirit was about to allow the Moto family to have their time together when he felt the adolescent mentally telling him it was all right for him to stay out. He took a seat on his partner's mattress with his arms crossed. He was very glad he was able to share a special moment with his other self.

Yugi closed his eyes as he continued to smile. He had always been grateful for the family he was born into, even if nothing truly turned out in the way he expected.

**To be continued…**

Chao- Even though Chao had promised to write at least one duel in future stories, it just wasn't going to happen in this one… Chao could have written out a game, but then this whole set would have been told in three parts instead of two. And Chao would like to finish up already started fan fics.

YChao- So then how would you define a duel then? One that is actually written out or one that is just merely mentioned?

Chao- Um… Chao dunno… At least a round of Duel Monsters in the manga and anime were all drawn out and kinda served as the bases for the show so…


	12. A Love that is Always Around

Chao- It's nice to answer requests asked by readers. Originally, Chao wasn't going to add the part where Yugi confessed about his bullying.

Yugi- Is that because you enjoy torturing me?

Chao- Well of course, but really Chao didn't care much for the idea but later thought it would be best to go ahead and toss it in. Plus, Chao had also allowed for readers to beat up the bullies from the first chapter at the end of chapter seven. So see? Chao ain't that bad of a person…. humanoid…. thing….

Yami- (coming back from beating up bullies) (stretching) I'd have to agree.

Yugi- (sigh)

YChao- Indeed, but your story still sucks.

Chao- Bleh!

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

/Yami and Yugi's mind link./

**Chapter 12: A Love that is Always Around**

Underneath a dull street light, Izumi stood out in the empty parking lot of the hospital with his hands in his pocket. Gazing up towards the vast dark sky, he was deep in thought; plenty of questions plagued his mind. He wondered about the game of Duel Monsters he played earlier. He wondered about what had happened to his boss. He wondered about all his peers he had worked side by side with. He figured many of them were already aware of the inevitable bankruptcy and had already gone in search for a new job.

Closing his eyes, he sighed; he now needed to leave and find a new place that would hire him. Despite the troubles he often encountered, he wasn't at all disappointed; he was quite content he had spent time with his son.

"Izumi, is everything ok?" Solomon asked as he entered the parking lot.

Turning around, the man replied truthfully, "Yeah."

He shuffled to the trunk of his banged up car. He pulled up the dented trunk and removed a clean suitcase. As he placed the bag on the ground, he mentioned, "This is Yugi's."

"I'll be sure to bring it back to him." the old man replied. "But are you sure you can't stay around for a bit longer?"

"There are a few places hiring right now. I need to at least try and take them."

"Well, if anything happens, you'll always have a place to stay."

"Thanks."

As the game store owner left, Izumi returned his gaze back to the black sky dotted with many stars.

A small smile crept over his face.

Flashback

Mitsuki had excused herself earlier after the mini episode she had against her ex-spouse. Izumi and Solomon had left Yugi's room to allow the youngest member of the Moto family to rest in peace. As they did, the younger man could have sworn he heard his child speaking to himself in an odd manner, similarly as he had done earlier at the restaurant. He decided it was for the best to just let it go.

"Are you heading out now?" Solomon asked.

"Yeah." the younger man nodded.

"Well, don't get into an accident." the old man chuckled.

"Maybe if I do, then I'll get to spend even more time next to Yugi in the hospital." Izumi laughed in his reply as he walked away. As he made his way to the exit, he saw Mitsuki standing outside the door. Izumi stepped out and said to her, "Well, I'll see you around."

He was about to persist when he felt someone grab him by his wrist with two slender hands. Glancing down, he noticed his ex-wife held on to him. He looked into the woman's eyes. The soft, brown irises were quite crestfallen as oppose to raw anger.

"Mitsuki?" he questioned with concern.

"Are you leaving already?" the woman asked.

"Yeah, I need to." Izumi explained.

"So, what… Are you just going to leave without saying goodbye?" Mitsuki questioned with a bit of shaky voice. "Like you did before all those years back?"

"Wha?"

Izumi took a moment to think about what had been said. He recalled he was the one who felt he needed to leave. With all his changes and loses in work, he strongly believed he would not be a good enough father towards his son. Unable to think of a proper response, he only replied, "I need to go."

"No, you don't!" Mitsuki tried to argue.

"But I need to."

"No!"

"If I don't, then who's going to go get Yugi's stuff from the motel?"

"Wait, wha?" Mitsuki became confused about what had just been brought up. Looking towards her ex-husband, Izumi smiled lightly and informed, "I need to get Yugi's and my stuff from the motel. I'll be back when I drop off his stuff."

The woman with short maroon hair immediately released her husband. She turned around with her own face red as she replied quietly, "Oh."

"Mitsuki, I-" Izumi was about to add something when his ex-spouse shouted in a stubborn voice, "Save it for your green porcupines!"

"Actually, it's been purple wombats now." the man corrected, only to be punched in his arm by Mitsuki.

End flashback

Just before the man was about to head off, he felt something in his pocket. He took out the object and remembered he still carried with him his son's deck. Looking around, he tried to locate the old man. However, Solomon had already entered the hospital with his grandson's bag. Quickly as he could, Izumi raced out so he could return the precious cards that belonged to his only child.

When he finally arrived at Yugi's room, he saw Solomon waiting outside, still holding on to the boy's suitcase. Izumi walked closer and asked, "Um, Solomon?"

The old man gazed over and smiled quite pleasantly. He pointed towards the room without uttering a single word.

Izumi carefully peeked into the hospital room where his son lied in. In the same room he had been moments ago, there were now two other males and one female. One of the boys had messy gold hair while the other had straight brown. The girl had short brown hair as well. The patient with tri-color was fully awake with a large smile across his face as he laughed with pure bliss.

Izumi's heart overflowed with joy as the sound of his child giggling entered his ears.

"Did you need something else?" Solomon asked after a brief moment of silence.

"I only needed to give Yugi his deck back." Izumi explained. "These are the same ones I had used in my duel. They are quite powerful. Guess he managed to create a great deck."

"Are you going to go in?" the old man questioned, with a soft smile.

The man remained quiet for a bit, and then replied, "No, could you give this to him for me?"

"Of course." the elderly man answered as accepted the stack of cards.

After handing the pack over, Izumi looked into the room once again.

"Anything else?" Solomon asked as he noticed the younger man appeared lost in thought.

"I only wanted to ask my son something." Izumi began more to himself. "… But I think I already know what it was…"

The man walked away. He was aware many people would have only seen three teens in the same hospital room visiting a friend, but Izumi was well aware there were actually four beings visiting his son at that very moment.

Xxx

_Dear Kiddo,_

_I hope everything has been able to go well. I'll be heading out to find more places for a job. Now don't beat yourself over because of what happened with Zuri. He was the one who set the trap for himself. I would much rather live with a homeless man for a roommate in cardboard box on the cold streets than work for a man who caused harm to you. Wait, scratch that last note; don't worry yourself over me and how soon I will find a job._

_Anyways, don't worry about what your mother will say about all this. I'll find a way to explain everything to her. We don't need to have her worry over you (it may also be a good idea if she doesn't see this particular letter as well). _

_I hope you had been able to keep up with your homework; as we both know, we don't need to worry your mother over your grades. But I also hope you're able to do well with your deck. I have full confidence in you, my son, who is also King of Games. Just don't put your guard down; otherwise__,__ those mummies will be after your Puzzle, your good luck charm, and friend._

_Let's hope though that I'll get a job closer to Domino. I'll send another letter when I get the chance. But just remember that your father, mother, grandfather, and your friends will always be there for you when you need us. To help you stand up when you are knocked down and laugh at your mistakes after you've been too arrogant._

_Loving you always,_

_Your clumsy and caring father_

"You just worry about your weddings on the moon." replied a young adult's voice to himself.

Standing in a city park, Yugi smiled greatly as he reviewed his torn, handwritten letter with a dried out coffee stain in the corner he received in the mail. Even if nothing went as expected, he was quite glad he had been with his father. He may not have been able to say farewell to the man he cared for, but he understood the reason behind it.

He was also content for knowing all his training not only paid off for the dreaded Sports Festival, but he was able to handle himself better with his extra strength. He hoped he would have time training for his Duel Monster tournaments while staying strong for his physical education and events. He was happy he had friends to help him out in both categories.

"Yo Yug!" Joey called out to his zoned out friend. "You got it?"

"Yeah," the teen nodded when he returned to pleasant reality. He went through his brown backpack and pulled out an orange Frisbee with blue paint splattered on along with sloppy glitter.

Tea smiled as she asked, "Is that the one we painted together in our school festival when we were younger?"

"Yup!" Yugi proudly answered.

He and his childhood friend had decorated the toy when they were kids. Normally items like that had been kept in the attic, but because Yugi had made it with his companion, he kept it in his room hidden far back in his closet. He was quite glad he was finally able to take it out and play it with someone, like the friends he had wished for.

"This is great," Tristan remarked ecstatically. "At least now we'll have something to do in case the Spider Arcade is closed, like it is today."

"I can't wait to see its new design!" Yugi shouted with joy. He looked towards the green grass and thanked quietly, "I'm really happy you guys were able to see me when I was in the hospital."

"You sound surprise." Tea giggled.

The small teen smiled, "Well, it was further up north from where we all live."

"Don't sweat it Yug." Joey assured. "We'll always be there for you."

/Your friends truly care about you./ Yami joined in. He grinned a bit as he added, /As does your family./

"Yeah, thanks everyone." Yugi smiled.

The group of adolescents spent the afternoon playing with the round toy.

**The End**

Chao- And it's over!

YChao- Thank you for taking your sweet time on this.

Chao- Yeah, Chao will make it up to readers.

Yugi- How? This is the last chapter!

Chao- Indeed, but there is this little thing called a "sequel".

Yugi/Yami- What!?

Chao- Yeah, Izumi was too much fun to just end him there.

YChao- Hey, be glad he isn't the abusive type either.

Yugi/Yami- Ok…

Chao- Thanks for reading! If anything had been left out, it'll be explained in the next story… hopefully… Please review!


End file.
